


The Cursed Doll

by LosttotheHoping



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Romance, fan fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-06
Updated: 2013-04-08
Packaged: 2017-12-09 13:49:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/774920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LosttotheHoping/pseuds/LosttotheHoping
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Sorcerer has returned.  So shifts all reason, until right is inseparable from wrong, and hate and love are interchangeable.  Does the end justify the means?  Or has insanity become Sakura’s only option to survive the journey?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Read and review. Please tell me what you think.
> 
> Warning: AU, slight ooc, het, weird pairings, unbeta'd  
> Dedication: Velvet_Sometimes, for sitting here and cheering me on while I wrote.
> 
> Characters and Naruto do not belong to me, but to Masashi Kishimoto.  
> I am responsible for creating this alternate universe, and the story line only.  
> Please do not take and use without my permission.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In doing a favor for a friend, Sakura takes on a responsibility she never asked for... but will come to accept.

Haruno Sakura bit her lip, peering at all the antiques around her in distaste.  She really wasn't an antique kind of person, but....

"And if I don't make one sale at all this week, Hayate-sama's gonna _fire_ me," her friend, Inuzuka Kiba, complained to her from the other side of the counter.  "So just buy something that's more than five bucks?  Pleaaaseee, Sakura-chan?  I'm begging you here!"

"Alright, alright," she relented, clasping her hands in front of her and smiling at him.  "I'll see what there is.  I'll buy something,  okay?  There _has_ to be something that I'll like even a little bit."

"Oh, by the gods, Sakura-chan, I love you.  I'd ask you to marry me, but that would be weird," Kiba gushed, relieved beyond words.

She giggled.  "Not to mention my brother would murder you, right?"

Kiba snorted, not the least bit intimidated by Naruto.  "Brother on paper only," he retorted, but smiled.  "Go ahead, take a look around."

She gave him an overly bright smile.  "Sure," she said, feeling like this was a bad idea already.  She slowly turned on her heel to face the opposite way, eyes sweeping over the haphazardly arranged assortment of old junk.  A hesitant step lead to another, and very shortly, she was slowly moving through the piles of furniture, knick knacks and other things for sale in the store.

Once she'd moved out of Kiba's eyesight, behind a large dresser that had a mirror, she stopped and eyed the door to the left of the shop.  For a moment, she warred with herself.  Leave now?  She could still run away.  Kiba wouldn't be mad at her forever, right?

She chewed on her bottom lip, uncertain, then slowly shook her head at herself.  No, she'd already agreed, and besides, it wasn't like she didn't have any money.  Worst came to worst, she could get something easy to carry and pawn it off on Naruto as an early birthday present.

So she drew in a deep breath and continued.

It wasn't until she'd reached the next room of the three-roomed antique store - Hayate's Historical Finds - that she came upon an old wooden toybox.  It was huge, reaching up to about mid-thigh, with chipped sky-blue paint and tiny red designs on the lid, and the sides.  A plastic plaque resting atop it said that it's contents were for individual sale, so with a shrug, she moved the plaque and shoved open the lid.

It was a lot lighter than she thought it would be, and slid over to clunk to the floor, nearly catching her toes.  She jumped back, startled, and then let out a breath.  "Sheesh," she muttered, and coughed on the resulting cloud of dust.  "How long's this been here...?"

Waving her hand to dispell the dust, she knelt cautiously before the toybox, peering in at it's contents.  She reached up to tuck a lock of her short pink hair behind her ear, tilting her head.  There were a few dozen wooden blocks with carved and painted letters on the sides, and a couple wooden soldiers that were also painted, but that the paint had mostly chipped away on.  There was also a few other things, but it was the doll laying on top of it all that caught her attention.

The details were amazing.  Smooth, rounded cherubic cheeks, intricately carved brows and mouth, even a small point of a nose, and glass eyes.  If she hadn't known better, she'd think she was staring down at a human child.  But the gaze was too empty, the body too adult, the painted features too lacquered.  And the most fascinating part about the entire doll was it's crimson hair.  It seemed to be real, not plastic, but she supposed that made sense.

She'd heard somewhere that back in the past, childrens' dolls were made to resemble the children in all ways, and that they even used the child's own hair to make the doll's.  Still, feeling real hair, on top of a wooden head, while being stared at by those empty eyes... it was sort of creepy.

Sakura moved to get up, but hesitated.  She looked around, frowning and chewing on her lip for a moment.  She had to buy _something_.  And frankly, she had to leave for swimming practice in ten minutes...  It was better than nothing.

So with a groan, she picked up the doll and jumped when his arms slid out of his lap.  The joints still worked pretty well, amazingly.  Shaking her head, she turned the doll over, looking for any sort of marking that would tell her the maker, or how old it was.  But the only thing she found was a tiny name carved into his foot.

"Sasori," she whispered.

A shiver went down her spine, and outside, the wind picked up, howling madly like the cry of an agonized woman.  She looked up, without any real reason to do so, into a mirror resting conveniently within her sight.  And for a second, she almost thought she saw a redheaded man standing behind her, reaching out for her.  She blinked, and he was gone.  Only the doll in her hands remained.

She shook her head, calling herself ten kinds of silly, and stooped to pick up her purse.

Sakura found Kiba at the counter, where she'd left him, boredly perusing a magazine.  "Hey, Kiba.  I'll buy this.  How much?"

He looked up, eyes finding her face first, then the thing in her hands.  "Oh, um, ten bucks," he said.  "Geez, that's cutting it close, Sakura-chan."

She chuckled dryly and shook her head, adjusting her purse.  Then she set the doll down on the counter and dug in her purse for her wallet.  "Well, I really don't have a lot of money, and I need to have some for dinner tonight," she said.  "I wouldn't even be doing this if I didn't owe you a favor."

"Well, I appreciate it, Sakura-chan.  I mean it.  I'll pay you back," he replied.

"Don't worry.  Favor, remember?" she said, tugging a couple fives out of her wallet.  She tossed them in his vague direction and scooped up the doll.  "Anyway, I have to run.  If I don't leave _now_ , I'm gonna be late for swim practice, and Kisame-sensei will _kill_ me.  I mean it.  He might just turn me into shark food."  She waved and dashed away without waiting for Kiba's reply.

As soon as she reached her car, the puppet was tossed into the back seat and forgotten.

xXx

Sakura woke up the next morning, yawning as the sun shined into her face.  She made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat and rolled over, putting her back to her window.  Her fingers knocked into something hard and yielding, that moved slightly away at her touch.  Confused - had she fallen asleep while reading? - she opened her eyes and stared into the crimson gaze of the doll.

And stared.  And stared.  Then she sat up.

"NA-RU-TOOOOO!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

The next room over, there was the loud thump and crunch of Naruto rolling off his bed and onto whatever it was he'd left on his floor last night.  A moment's silence, then, "Oh, _no_ , not my projeeeccct!"

She growled and got up, snatching the doll up off her pillow, then made her way out of her room to his.  Then, standing in his doorway in all her nighty-clad glory, she started to rail at him.  "What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded, shaking the doll at him.  "I nearly had a heart attack!  It's damn unnerving waking up to a doll staring at you, you jerk!  Especially this guy!  And don't you go into my car again without my permission!  Did you lock the doors behind you?!  Did you?!"

Naruto, eyes wide with terror at this unexpected assault from the sleep-mussed she-demon, started to shake his head, then stopped and pouted.  "What are you talking about, Sakura-neechan?" he asked, confused.  "I've never seen that creepy thing in my life!"

"I just bought it yesterday, dweeb!" she retorted.  "And it certainly didn't walk out of my car and sit on my bed in the middle of the night by itself, now did it?"

"Well, no, but-"

"So you admit it!  I knew it, you little prankster!  STAY OUT OF MY ROOM!"  And she slammed his door on his following protests, stalking back to her room to get changed for school.  She had three classes today, since she was in college, and she couldn't be late for swim practice that afternoon, either.

A pair of jeans, a white blouse and a sweater later, she made her way downstairs for breakfast, leaving Sasori on her dresser.  She found Naruto complaining to their adopted mother in the kitchen.

"-but I swear I've never seen the thing," he was saying.

"Oh, came to tattle on me first chance you got, did you?" Sakura demanded, and stole his toast right out of his hand.  She plopped down into a chair with a grumpy huff and nibbled on it.  "Freaking hell.  Tsunade-okaasan, it's creepy as fuck to wake up to that!"

Tsunade snorted as she stirred sugar into her coffee.  "Can I get some quiet for five minutes?  It's bad enough I have to get up so early.  I didn't want to listen to you two bitching like five year olds on top of it.  Naruto, stop pranking your sister, Sakura, stop assuming he's doing things when he isn't."

"You're just saying that to get us to shut up," Naruto accused.

Tsunade reached for more sugar.  "And it isn't fucking working," the older blonde complained uncharitably.

Sakura snorted, getting up to grab a mug and some coffee for herself.  She drank it black; sugar made it taste weird (and she was too lazy most days).  "Anyway, why _are_ you up so early?"

Tsunade grumbled for a moment, grabbing more sugar, before answering.  "Well, I have to re-evaluate some people in my department.  It's an annual thing, and it'll take days.  I probably won't be back tonight."

"Oh," Naruto said, pouting.  "Hey, if Sakura-neechan kills me in my sleep while you're gone, can I be cremated?  I don't want her defiling my body on top of it, or making me her pet zombie."

She stuck her tongue out at him.  "You wish," she retorted.  "As if I'd want a zombie as gross as you."

"Hey!" he protested immediately.

"In fact, my new creepy doll is ten times better than a zombie Naruto," she added childishly, on a roll.

Tsunade rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter to glare at them.  "Knock it off," she ordered, and her eyes caught sight of the clock.  She nearly dropped her mug of too-sugary coffee.  "Crap!  I'm late!  Sakura, give Naruto a ride to school!  Bye!"  She dropped the mug into the sink and took off.  Moments later, the door slammed shut on her entrance from the house.

"You're mean," Naruto complained, to which she just made a face at him.

xXx

She didn't get home again until late that night.  Ino, one of her classmates and her best friend ever, had dragged her off to a dinner and a party after their last class, which ended at four pm.  So she hadn't been able to escape until nearly two in the morning.   _Man_ , she was going to pay for this tomorrow morning, she just knew it...

Sakura sighed as she walked into the kitchen in the dark, with an ease of one who knows their own home like the back of their hand.  She shuffled over to the sink and clicked on the light over it, blinking at the sudden brightness, then turned around and dropped her purse.

Sasori sat on the kitchen table, unmoving and staring at her.   _Right_ at her.  She stared back, eyes wide.  "N-Naruto?  C'mout, you jerk!" she stammered, looking away.  She stared at the doorway, then glanced toward the pantry, waiting for her brother to jump out and start laughing at her.  Nothing happened, so she looked back at the puppet, and gasped.  He was gone.

Something, in the corner of her eye.  Something there that wasn't before.  Slowly, heart pounding in her chest with fright, she turned her head and looked.  Sasori sat on the counter, staring up at her, less than a foot away.  His arm was outstretched as if to grab her, glassy eyes unblinking.

She screamed at the top of her lungs and dashed away from him, back striking the table with sharp suddenness and bringing her to a halt.  In her commotion, she'd lost sight of him.  She looked again, breath shallow and fast in coming, eyes so wide it almost hurt.  He still sat there, though his arm had lowered and his eyes had followed her.  He didn't move, just stared, with his hands piled in his lap patiently.  Waiting for her to look away, to blink.

She realized she was covering her mouth with her own hand.  Realized she must be alone in the house.  Naruto surely would have come for her if he was at home.  But if she looked away, he'd move again.  What would he do?  What...

She slowly lowered her hand, the limb shaking at this nonreality that was happening in her kitchen.  "S-Sakura, yo-you're seeing things," she stuttered, staring at him.  Her eyes were burning from not blinking, watering, but she couldn't make them blink if she tried.  Her fingers pressed against her lips again.

Silence fell, and she blinked again.  When her eyes focused on him, he was standing.  She nearly swallowed her tongue.  "D-dreaming.  You f-fell asleep a-at Tenten's... Y-yeah..." she mumbled against her fingers.

Slowly, she lowered her arm and pinched herself.  She winced, and he was gone.  She jerked her head around, finding him on the table, fingers inches from her sleeve.

Haruno Sakura reacted on instinct and punched that doll so hard he flew across the room, slamming into the cupboard, and fell to the floor out of sight.  She froze.  "Oops..."

"... _ow_ ," she heard faintly, the voice tiny and pained.

She shrieked again, and dashed for the door.  She stopped on the threshold, eyes darting around the room in search of him.  She spied him still on the floor by the cupboards, now in view between the legs of the table and chairs.  Face down.  He wasn't moving.

Hesitantly, knowing she was fifteen kinds of stupid for doing it, she inched closer, keeping him in sight.  "Are you okay?" she whispered, finally standing over him.

He didn't answer.  Hopefully, she asked, "Did I kill you?"  Still nothing.  "I really hope I did."

The sudden slamming of the door made her jump, yelping.  "Sakura-neechan, I'm home!" came Naruto's voice, though it was soft.  He probably thought she was asleep.  "Anyone awake?"  He stuck his head into the kitchen and blinked.  "Sakura-neechan?  Why are you still up?"

"I just g-got home," she said, and shook her head.

"Playing house?" he teased, grinning.

Confused, she stared at him like he was an idiot.  "What?"

He looked past her, toward the counter between the sets of cupboards.  She turned her head to follow his gaze and screamed, diving away.  "IT MOVED AGAIN!"

"Huh?"  Naruto stared at her as she cowered behind a chair.  "Sakura-neechan... you're weird," he said, rolling his eyes.  "I'm going to bed.  I have a test tomorrow."  He yawned as he waved, leaving.

She didn't notice his departure, staring fearfully at the doll on the counter.  Drawing a breath, she released it slowly.  "Why are you... how...?  I don't understand."

He said nothing, and her shaking was getting worse.  She swallowed and straightened, slowly backing toward the door.  She reached it, eyes fixed on him, and then...

She turned and bolted for the stairs, taking them two at a time.  In no time at all, she was slamming the door shut behind her, gasping for breath and trying not to cry in terror.  Slowly, she reached for the lightswitch, and flicked it up.

Her stomach sank when she saw him, sitting there on her pillow, as if daring her to come closer.  At his feet sat her purse, it's contents strewn across the comforter.  She slid to the floor, sitting with her back to the door.

She stayed that way the whole night.

xXx

The next morning, Sakura started awake, sometime around ten.  She was briefly glad that she didn't have classes today.

Then she felt the weight in her lap.  She looked down, back stiff for more than one reason.  He sat there, head resting against her arm as he stared down into his own lap.  And sitting in his lap was a piece of paper, with messy handwriting on it.

Slowly, morbidly, she picked it up and scanned it.  ' _dont want make you scream_ ' it said, and was signed ' _Sasori_ '.  She stared down at the paper for a moment, swallowed, and looked down at him.  She didn't know what to say, or to think, so she got up and put him on the dresser.

She left the room, left him alone.

xXx

Kiba blinked at Sakura, standing on his doorstep.  "Wha- cursed doll?  What are you talking about?" he demanded, baffled.

"It _moved_ , Kiba!" she snapped, now more angry than scared.  Without the damn doll right in front of her, she wasn't scared of it.  "I blinked and it moved."

His surprised turned to incredulity.  "Did you _see_ it move, Sakura-chan?" he asked slowly, clearly thinking she'd lost her marbles.

She hesitated, chewing on her lip thoughtfully.  She hadn't.  But... then he wouldn't believe her.  "... yeeesss..."

"You're an awful liar, Sakura-chan," he accused her, sighing.  "I'm sure it was just your imagination.  Don't sweat it, okay?"

"It wasn't!" she snapped.

"Then it was a dream, Sakura-chan," he said, frowning.  "Dolls don't move, unless there are strings attached.  Maybe this is all some sort of elaborate prank done by Naruto?"

The suggestion would have been plausible, but...  "No, Naruto didn't get home until after it had already happened a few times, and it happened when he was standing there with me."

"Did he see it move?" Kiba asked curiously.

She ashamedly shook her head.  "No, he thought I was lugging it around with me or something," she muttered, shivering.

"It must have been a dream, Sakura-chan," he told her confidently.  "Now, can you go?  I'm trying to woo Hinata-chan, and it isn't working with my best female friend bugging me about haunted barbies."

She couldn't help cracking a grin at that.  "Sorry for cramping your style, smooth-operator," she teased, punching his arm.  "Alright, see you later, I guess.  Take care."

"Yeah, you too!  And get some sleep, Sak, before it kills you!"

She rolled her eyes and waved, turning toward her car.  "Psh-ya right," she muttered.

xXx

Sasori was still on her dresser when she got home.  He hadn't moved.  Maybe she _had_ dreamed it all.  "Maybe it was all just a nightmare," she mumbled, sweeping her purse and it's contents off her bed.  Then she collapsed on it and lay on her side, staring at the puppet for a while.

She didn't know when, but soon enough, she fell asleep.

xXx

She woke again to pitch black.  Dark had fallen, and she was alone in an eerily silent room.  Something held her hand.  Two tiny hands that she couldn't see in the darkness.  She stiffened, holding her breath without even knowing it.

A moment passed, and those hands didn't move.  "Why?" she whispered.  "How?"

" _... curse..._ "  The whisper, like the day before, was tiny and faded.  "... _dying..._ "

"You're dying?" she asked, that inherent medical-student concern flaring.  Then she squashed it ruthlessly like the ex-high school wrestler that she was.   _Hell_ no!  She wasn't feeling sorry for Chucky!

" _...yes..._ " he whispered.  "... _save... me... please... Sak... ra._ "

Ohhh, it knew her name!  She tried to jerk her hand away, but he clung to it with shocking stubbornness, landing in her lap as she sat up.  "Lemme go!"

" _Save_ ," he whispered.  Pleading.  Terrified.

She stopped moving, hesitating.  On the one hand, she wanted more than anything to toss the psycho puppet from hell out her window.  Maybe into oncoming traffic.  On the other...

" _... please..._ "

He was begging for his life.  He needed her to save him, or he'd die.  And that's what she wanted to do, right?  Save people?  Sakura chewed on her lip, terrified and uncertain, before drawing a breath.  "How?"  It didn't even cross her mind to think he might kill her after she saved him.

" _... kiss..._ "

"Oh, _hell_ no!" she shouted.  "GET OFFA ME!!!!!!!"  She tried again to fling him but he held on tightly, and eventually she gave up, arm sore from the effort.  "Seriously?  A kiss?  What are you, the frog prince?"

" _... sorc..er...er,_ " he whispered.  " _Tell... all... when... human._ "

She hesitated again, frowning down in his direction.  "Swear?"

" _I... swear._ "

She narrowed her eyes, then huffed, sighed, drew and released a deep breath, wash, rinse, repeat.  Finally, she realized she was stalling, and swore.  "Alright, fine," she grumbled, and slowly lifted the doll with both hands.  She hesitated, then aimed a kiss at him, catching his forehead.

Silence followed, then an exasperated, " _Lips._ "

"Duh," she retorted, embarrassed.  She just knew she was beat red.  "I can't believe I'm doing this," she muttered, and carefully kissed him again.  This time she caught the corner of his mouth.  When nothing happened, she moved the kiss further right, catching his lips fully.

Nothing happened.  "Well, that was anticlimactic," she muttered.  "Now what?"

And all of a sudden, a bright light filled the room, then faded to black, and there was a weight pressing her into the sheets.  Fingers caught her wrists and locked them in place.  A mouth pressed to her temple, then her cheekbone, her eyelid, her jaw, her mouth, her nose... all over her face.

She didn't react at first, more out of shock then anything, but finally she gave a token struggle and he paused, returning his mouth to her's in a firm, chaste kiss.  Something wet dropped to her cheek, and she realized he must be crying.

"Thank you," he whispered, voice deep and smooth, like silk and melted chocolate.  Like pain and lost breath, like agony and darkness.  She melted a little at that voice, at that sincere thanks.  "Thank you so much, Sakura..."

She swallowed, uncertain.  "U-uh, you... you're welcome," she muttered, eyes wide, though she could see nothing.  "Can you get up now?"

He smiled, his lips now pressed against the hollow of his cheek.  "No."  He gave it a brief kiss, but finally released her wrists and rolled over.  "I'm staying right here," he murmured, and pulled her against him.

That was when she realized that he was naked.

"GET OUT!!!!"   _CRACK!_

xXx

Twenty minutes later, she was standing behind him in the kitchen, poking at the cracked skull she'd given him.  "Sorry, I have a really... er, violent temper," she muttered sheepishly.

The smile was audible in his voice when he replied.  "I forgive you."

Twitching at the male pride in those three words, she struggled not to throttle him.  " _Right,_ " she forced out between gritted teeth.

He turned, pulling slightly away to look up at her.  "You are upset with me," he murmured, tilting his head.  His face was doll-smooth, no expression visible.  As if he'd forgotten how.  But she knew he did.  He smiled when he teased her.  And the confusion was there, in his eyes.  But his face didn't make the expression.

It was sort of cute, in a creepy, abstract way.  Sighing, she shook her head.  "I have no reason to be," she replied, and tugged him back around to tend to the head wound.  "Maybe I should sew this..."

"It will heal soon enough," he replied softly.

"Really?" she asked, blinking.

"Yes."  He nodded stiffly.  "I will return to doll form when the sun rises.  Then I will turn back to this one when it sinks again.  So long as I stay with you, I can remain a man at night, and I will not fade into oblivion."

Her hands had stilled, resting on his shoulders, and her heart sank sadly.  "I'm sorry."

He shook his head.  "There is no reason to be."  He picked listlessly at the hem of his shirt, borrowed from Tsunade's closet.  It belonged to the woman's boyfriend, Jiraiya, and was too big on Sasori, but it would have to do.  "Just... keep me with you?"

Sakura's heart gave a pang at the plea, and she nodded slowly.  "Okay," she murmured, feeling heartbroken for no reason at all.  Why was she so sad?  It wasn't like... like she _cared_...  But no, she couldn't lie to herself.  She _did_ care.  That was just her nature.  "Okay, I'll keep you."

He turned, cracking a smile at her, and tugged her around the chair to sit in his lap.  "Thank you, Sakura," he murmured, and stole her breath away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love is a battlefield, especially when dealing with a several hundred year old cursed doll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... I was actually planning on making The Cursed Doll a oneshot, but I was persuaded otherwise.
> 
> Warning: AU, slight ooc, het, weird pairings, unbeta'd  
> Dedication: Az for demanding more. XD

It didn't take Yamanaka Ino, Sakura's best friend, very long at all to figure out something was up.  In fact, barely a week had passed before she pounced her best friend, armed with cheetos and a coke-bottle full of dice.  "C'mon, Sak, you're going out with me tonight~" she sang, dragging the green-eyed woman bodily from the class room after class.  
  
"W-what- no, I can't!" Sakura protested immediately.  "Ino, stop!"  She jerked her arm out of the blonde's grip, pulling back to stand against the wall of the hallway.  "I have stuff to do at home, okay?  I have to be there every night!"  
  
Ino's eyes narrowed at her, a look that didn't bode well for the pink-haired girl.  "What's his name?" she asked, in a would-be casual tone.  
  
Sakura stiffened, eyes wide.  Damn, but Ino was  _good_.  No wonder she wanted to be a therapist; she could get into people's heads like no other person Sakura knew.  "His?" the pink haired med student asked.  "Who are you talking about?"  
  
"Oh come off it," Ino said, shaking her head and rolling cerulean eyes.  She propped her hands on her hips.  "I wasn't born yesterday."  This was punctuated by lifted brows.  "It's so obvious that you want to go home to see a boy."  Then she made a disgusted face.  "It's not Naruto, is it?"  
  
"Eww, no!" Sakura protested without thinking, then hurriedly added, "It isn't anybody!"  
  
Ino gave her a look.  "Uh-huh," she said with a half nod, clearly humoring Sakura.  She crossed her arms.  "Then what is it?"  
  
Sakura frowned back at her, unconsciously mirroring Ino's posture.  "Nothing.  Just errands," she lied, meeting the blonde's eyes with a stubborn challenge; 'I dare you to say I'm lying'.  
  
Ino relaxed her stance, hands dropping to her sides and head falling backward as she groaned in frustration.  "Oh my god, Sak.  It's not gonna kill you to tell me!  I promise I won't say anything," she said, lowering her head to look at Sakura again.  "Pleeeeeeasse?"  She batted her eyelashes at her friend, effecting what Kiba referred to as the 'puppy dog look from hell'.  
  
Sakura tried to fight it, she really did, but like always, she couldn't resist that look.  Finally, she heaved a sigh.  "Come over tonight at ten," she said.  "I'll introduce you then."  
  
Ino visibly bit back a victory cry.  "Yes, okay, ten, got it."  She quickly scurried off, likely to go congratulate herself in the bathroom.  
  
Sakura rolled her eyes and headed for her car.  
  
xXx  
  
Darkness fell, and Sakura turned her back on the doll seated on her pillow.  She closed her eyes and squeezed them shut.  She never had been able to watch him change, not in the entire week they'd known each other.  
  
Silence, and darkness, and finally,  _finally_ , a pair of arms sliding around her waist.  A nose was buried in the side of her neck, inhaling her scent like a starved man.  Sasori didn't eat, she realized abstractly.  
  
"Do you ever get hungry?" she whispered, keeping her eyes closed.  
  
He didn't answer for a moment, then shook his head.  "Not for food."  
  
The implication was glaringly obvious, and she felt blood flood her cheeks at the mental image that immediately rose to the surface of her mind.  "Oh," she breathed, fingers curling loosely around the hands clasped at her navel.  
  
They fell silent for a few minutes, before she finally spoke.  "You should get ready."  
  
"... for what?" he asked, the sound a bare breath.  
  
"Ino figured out something was up, but she thinks it's just a boy that I'm interested in.  So I told her to come over to meet you.  Otherwise she will get over curious and be a nuisance," she babbled, and then abruptly clamped her lips shut.  
  
"Man," he corrected calmly, pulling away.  "When?"  
  
She turned, cheeks red, and peered at him in the dim light from the hallway.  "Soon."  
  
He nodded slowly and moved to the closet.  "Then I will prepare."  
  
Sakura watched him sort through the clothes she'd gotten him, frowning.  He never told her no.  He never denied her what she wanted, never expressed displeasure with her choices.  He never ignored her questions, and always listened when she rambled on for absolutely no reason.  He held her close as if she were cherished by him, catered to her in the most dreamt-of ways.  He was perfect.  
  
But why did her heart crumble a little more every time he was kind to her?  Was it because, deep down, she knew he only did these things to please her, so she wouldn't throw him away or sell him?  
  
Would he do this forever?  Would she keep him forever?  How could she keep doing this to herself?  Knowing he didn't care but hid it hurt more than if he had struck her on the face.  "Sasori..."  
  
The doorbell cut her off, and she turned on her heel, pasting a fake smile on her face to greet her friend.  Ino grinned as she pulled open the door.  "Hey, Sak!  He here yet?"  
  
"Upstairs," Sakura said.  "C'mon, then.  I'll introduce you two."  
  
Ino grabbed her arm, the door swinging shut behind her.  "Sakura?  Are you okay...?"  
  
Sakura turned, blinking, and opened her mouth to brush Ino off, but she suddenly felt eyes on the back of her head.  Sasori had finished and was downstairs.  "Oh, this is Sasori," she said, turning to smile at him.  He stood in the shadows by the stairs.  "Sasori, this is my best friend Ino!"  
  
Sasori stepped into the hallway and gave a polite bow.  "Hello, Miss Ino."  
  
xXx  
  
 _Fingers ghosting over starched parchment.  Running along words, titles, numbers.  Sliding between pages.  Eyes searching.  "_ **Where**?"  A whisper, hurried and cautious.  
  
Where?  Where is the spell.  
  
The page is found.  A grin spreads across a child-like face.  Victory.  He opens his mouth, and the door slams open, soldiers pouring in.  Spell never started.  Protection never cast.  
  
"Capture the sorcerer!"  The voice shouted from the throat of his very own grandmother.  Her face is hard, gaze resolute.  Tears glimmering.  
  
He grins.  Starts to speak.  "Igne et ferro spiritum sanguinis humani. Posuit eius cor ardere, tueri vas."  He will not fall alone.  
  
She grabs her chest, sucking in a pained breath as pale eyes widen.  She drops to her knees, the soldiers panicking.  "Back away!" she shouts.  "Get away from him!"  
  
The soldiers release him without question.  And to his fury, she's still speaking.  "Eius dolor torquere eum totum. Duratus eum ut lapidem saecula! Amore plene liberet eum."  And she falls.  Falls and moves no more, body consumed by horrible flames.  All that remains is ashes of her.  All that remains of him... is a doll.  
  
xXx  
  
The three sat at the table, staring at each other.  Ino sipped her tea as she eyed Sasori without any readable expression.  Sakura shifted anxiously in her seat beside him, worried that her best friend would disapprove.  
  
Beside her, Sasori suddenly smiled.  Just a movement of the mouth, not reaching the eyes.  It looked empty, creepy on him.  "Are you upset about something, Miss Ino?" he asked.  
  
Sakura realized that he was trying to be kind.  He was seeking approval from  _her_.  Her hands abruptly slapped against the table loudly.  Ino jumped and looked at her with wide eyes.  Sasori turned his head calmly to look at her.  He wasn't afraid.  Not really.  
  
"Sasori-kun, come have a word with me," she said, through a forced, tight smile.  " _Now_."  She shoved her chair back and climbed to her feet, stalking stiffly out of the room.  
  
She heard Sasori excuse himself before he followed.  They went to her room, and after he'd shut the door, she rounded on him, temper flaring hotly.  "What are you  _doing_?   _Why_?  Every single time I look at you, and you tease me, and toy with me, and smile at me like you care, it just _pisses me off more_!  It's so obvious that you're faking!"  
  
He tilted his head, confused, lips parting slightly.  "Faking...?" he echoed.  
  
"You're acting like a doll!" she shrieked, then covered her mouth with both hands.  When she heard no noise from downstairs, she went on in a softer tone.  "Like an emotionless  _doll_ , Sasori!  Why?  Do you hate me that much?!"  
  
His tilted head shifted straight.  "You are upset because... why?  I do not hate you, Sakura...  I love you," he said blankly.  
  
"NO YOU DON'T!" she screamed, no longer caring if Ino came running.  "You're just pretending that you do so I don't get rid of you!  I know that's the truth, so stop hiding it!  Act like you  _want to_!"  
  
He didn't say anything for a beat, staring at her with wide eyes.  And then, much to her surprise, he smirked.  "Act like I want to, Sakura?  Are you so sure you want to know my personality?  I thought perhaps you would be happier with a doll that you could do with as you please."  
  
She tried not to be surprised with the sudden infusion of smug emotion.  She really did.  "No," she mumbled.  "No, I'm not.  I don't... like being lied to.  At- at least, if you're honest, I know where you stand.  I can deal with you."  
  
"Deal with me?" he asked, grinning.  "You couldn't possibly deal with me."  He took a step.  "Not in hundreds of years have I met anyone capable of  _dealing_  with me."  Another step.  "They all just scream and cower, afraid of the living doll, afraid of the cursed murderer.  Terrified of what I mean."  
  
He stepped too close, got within her bubble.  Her fight or flight instinct reared it's head, and she'd always been more inclined toward 'fight'.  Her open palm slammed against his cheek, jerking his head to the side.  "Sh-shut up!" she stammered angrily.  "So what if you scare me?!  I can still kick your ass!"  
  
His eyes were wide as he slowly turned his head back to stare at her.  "... what?" he murmured, as if he wasn't quite sure what to say to that.  
  
The door burst open, Naruto and Ino tumbling in.  They straightened hurriedly, flinching under the glare Sakura pinned to them.  "You're interrupting!" she roared.  "We're working difficulties out!  Get OUT OF THE HOUSE!!"  
  
They both yelped and Naruto jumped to his feet.  "But Sakura-chan-"  
  
" _ **GET OUT**_!"  
  
Luckily for Naruto, Ino had survival instinct and dragged her best friend's brother out of the room and then the house.  Sakura turned on Sasori again, only to abruptly deflate at his doll-like expression.  She sighed and walked over to the bed, sitting down.  "Whatever," she muttered.  "I give up."  
  
Sasori sat down beside her, the bed sinking slightly beneath his weight.  "You do not seem the type," he murmured, eying her oddly.  "That's why I chose you, you know.  To free me."  
  
"Chose?" she scoffed, and rolled her eyes.  "I bought you in an antique store, remember?"  
  
He tilted his head, the look on his face almost innocent.  "I came into the house, when I could have left."  
  
"And be run over on the side of the road the next day?" she asked, not believing him for a second.  
  
But he shrugged and didn't answer, merely sitting there with that empty look on his face.  She frowned and looked away, eyes drawn to their shadows on the wall to her right.  There, without the details, or the perception of living breathing figures, they looked as if she were practically in his lap.  
  
And what would be so bad about that?  He'd already shown that he was willing to pretend.  She could just... pretend with him, right?  If that were the case, why did she keep hesitating?  
  
 _Because you know you want more than that_ , a corner of her mind whispered.   _You know you deserve better.  Why wait for him to remember how to care?  Go find someone else._  
  
"It is okay, though," Sasori suddenly said, jarring her from her thoughts.  "I wouldn't die."  
  
Sakura gave him a blank look, scrambling to remember what she'd said last, then shook her head.  "No, I know," she muttered.  "But it would hurt, wouldn't it?"  
  
"Only the thought of it," he replied blandly, one shoulder lifting in a shrug.  "You're tired."  
  
The abrupt jump in topic made her frown at him thunderously.  She felt like he was deliberately trying to rile her.  Or perhaps trying to push her into just going to bed and forgiving him already.  But she wasn't fooled, and just to prove it, she hopped to her feet and turned to face him, arms crossing.  "Nope!  I'm not tired at all," she replied.  It was a lie, of course.  She felt more exhausted than she had all day.  But she wasn't going to tell him that.  "I think I might even go out!"  
  
Sasori tilted his head, blinking at her slowly.  "Go out where?" he asked curiously.  
  
There started a tick in the med-student's eye-lid.  "Wherever I damn well please," she retorted, resisting the urge to reach up and rub her eye.  She lifted her chin and stalked to the closet, jerking it open.  "I think I'm going to go dancing.  Maybe I'll give Sasuke-kun a call."  
  
She could just imagine how still Sasori went.  Oooh, yes, Sasuke.  Served him right!  But she knew the redhead wouldn't mention him, because he didn't think Sakura knew he'd read her diary.  "He's a friend of mine," the rosette girl continued, as if oblivious to Sasori's sudden silence.  It wasn't like he was ever particularly  _loud_ , but he seemed to be holding his breath now.  
  
"We used to date, back in high school...  He's kind of a jerk, but he's good for a work out."  She paused to let the suggestion sink in.  "Oops!  I meant as dancing."  She turned her head to give him a bright smile, not even really focusing on his face, before going back to searching for that dress Sasuke liked.  "I'm sure he'll agree to come with me."  
  
She found the little black slip of fabric secreted away in the very back of the closet, between an old winter coat that hadn't fit her since she was twelve, and a big bathrobe of her mother's (she wondered briefly why that was in there, but decided not to dwell on it).  With a victorious laugh, she tugged it out and disappeared out the door.  
  
xXx  
  
Uchiha Sasuke, once the love of her life and the only guy she had ever actively stalked, was  _not_  in any manner, shape  _or_  form a very good escort.  The best that he could claim was the basics; opening doors and paying for the lady.  The rest, well, he was socially constipated, and Sakura was pretty sure that his older brother Itachi had shoved an iron rod up his ass during his never-mentioned childhood.  
  
But despite this, he was a good friend of Naruto's (sort of) and they had not parted ways on bad terms.  She lost her virginity to him.  He lost a perfect nose to her (she broke it and his arm when he threatened to break up with her for not putting out).  They separated six months after that over an ice-cream bar.  
  
No, neither had ever been particularly mature.  
  
At any rate, Sasuke had agreed to meet her at the local club and paid both their way in, immediately dragging her onto the dance floor.  She proceeded to drown any memory at all of Sasori in the sound of the music, the flash of the lights and the taste of alcohol.  She was pretty sure, after her third drink, Sasuke was trying to convince her to go home with him, but she would never find out.  
  
A flash of red caught her eye, sometime around one in the morning.  She jerked to a stop and looked, but the redhead there was neither Sasori nor male at all.  A girl with glasses, dancing with someone Sakura was sure she'd gone to high school with.  
  
"Sakura?" Sasuke half-yelled into her ear, voice pitched to reach her over the music.  
  
She shook her head and turned away, heading toward the balcony and fresh air.  Her ex followed her and leaned against the railing.  Though there were a few others out here, most smoking cigarettes or coaxing their significant others into dark nooks to make out, she and Sasuke were basically alone.  
  
"Sakura?" he repeated, frowning faintly as he eyed her.  "You haven't really been yourself tonight.  Are you okay?"  
  
Briefly, she was surprised that he'd noticed.  Then she remember that it was Sasuke, the second prodigy of the Uchiha family.  Of  _course_  he'd noticed.  "I'll be okay," she reassured him, and at his disbelieving snort, she shook her head.  "No,  _really_ , Sasuke-kun.  I'll be okay.  It's really not a problem.  Just... boy troubles."  
  
"Ah," he said. He didn't seem to be the least bit offended by the implication that he was being used to forget for a while.  Nor did he seem surprised.  But then again, this was Sasuke.  "I didn't know you were dating again."  
  
"I wasn't  _not_  dating, if that's what you mean," she replied, but it was without heat.  She knew he just meant that he didn't know she was interested in anyone.  "It's uh... it's a guy from... far away."   _Understatement much?_  
  
Sasuke shifted slightly, nodding.  "Ah," he said again, looking back the way they'd come.  He was obviously waiting for her to go on, and with little patience to go on, she obliged.  
  
"He's... he thinks differently, 'cause he grew up a different way, you know?  So we're just... having some tiny clashes about dealing with each other, that's all," she rambled, staring out over the view provided from the balcony.  "And it's not that the difference is necessarily a  _bad_  thing, but...  Well..."  She looked up at him, frowning.  "It's just that it makes me a little uncomfortable."  She shrugged and glanced back out over the railing.  "Like we're thinking on different levels, or our brains have different make ups or..."  
  
Her gaze slid back toward him and she trailed off.  "Sasuke-kun, are you listening to me?"  
  
"You were followed," he said abruptly.  
  
Sakura jerked around, eyes wide, as she follow his unwavering gaze.  He was staring back through the glass doors leading to the veranda, into a pair of empty, chocolate eyes that were hovering just inside the building.  At her movement, Sasori looked at her, and stepped back into the darkness of the inside room.  
  
Furious, she flung herself forward, shoving the doors open and getting halfway through the dense crowd before realizing she'd lost sight of her redhead.  Where the hell had he  _gone_?  
  
"We should go," Sasuke said suddenly, right into her ear.  
  
She twisted around, blinking up at him.  She hadn't even realized that he'd followed her back inside.  But of course he had.  It was Sasuke.  "Okay," she said, more mouthing the word than actually saying it.  
  
He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her through the writhing crowd, all the way to the coat check.  There, he grabbed her belongings and jerked her out of the building.  They got three blocks before, baffled, she jerked her wrist out of his grasp.  "Sasuke, what the hell?  You forgot your jacket!  And your  _car_!"  
  
He stopped and reached for her hand again, but she jerked it away, taking a step back.  "What the hell?  Sasuke-kun, you  _forgot_  your  _car_!  That doesn't happen!  What the hell is up with you!"  
  
He frowned at her and sighed, dropping his hand to rest at his side.  "Oh," he muttered, tilting his head.  And suddenly, irrationally, the image of Sasuke standing before her flickered.  It was like the ghosts in those American horror movies she watched with Ino all the time.  
  
A shiver snaked down her spine, and her eyes widened.  "S-Sasuke-kun?" she whispered, taking another step back.  
  
He smiled.  Not Sasuke.  The picture of Sasuke before her faded, leaving behind something else all together.  Not Sasuke.  The smile hadn't changed.  "Sakura."  Not Sasuke.  
  
"Wh-what?  Sas-Sasori...?" she asked, paling.  "Where's... Sasuke-kun?"  
  
"I don't know.  You lost him when you ran into the building," Sasori replied blankly, tilting his head.  "It was a simple matter to conjure a glamour in his image.  You didn't know the difference, until we were out here."  
  
Alone.   _Dangerous_.  She took a step back.  His hand struck like a snake, clamping around her wrist to halt her escape, and her fist crunched his nose, sending him back again.  "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" she screamed at him, dropping her purse in preparation.  
  
He stared at her with the same shocked look he'd worn the last time she hit him.  One hand lifted to cup his nose.  "... I thought that would be obvious," he managed after a beat.  
  
"IT ISN'T, YOU FREAK!" she retorted, not lowering her volume at all.  
  
He actually flinched at that.  "I..."  He stopped, hand covering his face still.  He pulled it away, blinking.  "I'm bleeding."  
  
Sakura frowned, and then realized it was true.  Blood, all over the lower half of his face, dripping onto his new shirt.  "Oh, fuck me," she groaned, and stalked forward.  She didn't gloat when he focused on her instantly, incredibly wary of the hands approaching his face.  "Stay still, you wimp.  Let me have a look."  
  
"It will heal by tomorrow," he replied blankly, eyes crossed slightly as he looked down at her hand.  
  
She tried not to laugh at the odd picture that made.  "I don't care," she said, and bit her bottom lip to keep her mirth at bay.  "Stand still and take it like a man, you gutless puppet."  
  
He obeyed, frowning slightly.  "Do you make a habit of calling people names?" he asked after a beat, during which she prodded at the flesh around his nose.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Oh."  
  
And she snapped the  _broken_  nose back into place.  Twice.  Needless to say, she felt that justice had been served this night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters and Naruto do not belong to me, but to Masashi Kishimoto.  
> I am responsible for creating this alternate universe, and the story line only.  
> Please do not take and use without my permission.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kankuro's back in town... and he's in for a few surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: AU, slight ooc, het, weird pairings, unbeta'd  
> Dedication: Az for demanding more. XD

Kankuro dashed into the shop as soon as Hayate, the shop owner, opened for the day.  "Hey," he greeted with a grin.  "Finally got the money."

Hayate blinked.  "Oh... what was it for again?" he asked, scratching his jaw and meandering toward the counter.

Kankuro shrugged.  "That doll, in the old toybox.  I was broke last time I was in town," he explained.  "I live in Suna again, now, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Hayate said.  "You guys moved back there after only six months.  Why was that?"

Kankuro shifted uncomfortably at the sudden question, rubbing his arm.  "Um, well, dad died," he said.  Yeah, he'd never really gotten along with the man, but he wasn't happy that he was dead, either.

"Oh..."  Grey eyes moved away from Kankuro's face.  "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah," Kankuro said, and shook his head.  "Um, anyway, that doll..."  He trotted away from the guy and into the second room of the establishment.  A familiar toybox came into view, looking the same as always.  Except... was it his imagination, or was that layer of dust it usually sported all but gone?

Heart thudding in his chest, Kankuro knelt before the box and carefully removed the lid.  He paled.  It was gone.  That artifact, that cursed doll... it was _gone_.  "Hayate!" he cried, stumbling to his feet and running for the shopkeeper.

He ran into him halfway through the front room, as Hayate had been coming to see what was wrong.  Kankuro grabbed the older man's arms in an uncompromising grip.  "Where is it?  The doll?  The redheaded doll that was in the blue toybox!  Where?  Did someone buy it?!"

Years and years, he'd searched for that lost sorcerer, and he'd finally found it... but now it was _gone_?  It _couldn't_ be!  What could this mean?

Hayate, a little rattled, shook his head.  He couldn't understand what the big deal was.  "I'll check the sales list," he said, baffled.  "Come with me."

Kankuro nodded, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, and followed the brown-haired man to the counter.  Hayate shuffled through a few different folders before drawing one out.  It only took a few minutes before he sighed.  "Yeah, Kiba sold it a month ago, for ten dollars."

_A **month**?!  How much havoc has it caused?_ Kankuro wondered, panicked.  "Who'd he sell it to?" he demanded.

Hayate shook his head and shrugged.  "It doesn't say.  It was bought with cash.  I'm sorry-"

But Kankuro was already running from the building.  He'd met Kiba before.  It was bound to have happened in a town this size.  He could go find out where he lived and see if he could remember who he sold it to.  Yeah, that was what he'd do.

Hopping on his motorcycle, Kankuro powered her up, feeling as if he might puke.  Indescribable horror bought for ten measly bucks.  What had the world come to?  He'd saved up for _months_ to buy that damn doll.  He'd struck the bargain with Hayate the last time they spoke.  It was supposed to be a three hundred dollar antique, but the man's stupid assistant sold it for pocket change.

He just hoped, for the sake of whatever poor soul bought that thing, that they kept it locked in a display case.

xXx

Sakura sneezed, and beside her, Ino quirked a brow.  "You haven't been staying up to 'play' with your boy toy have you?" she teased.

Sakura grimaced at her ironic choice of words.  Then she swatted Ino on the arm for the insinuation.  "No!  It was probably just somebody spreading gossip."

"I didn't think you were superstitious, Forehead," Ino remarked dryly.

The rosette medical student glowered at her friend.  Ever since Ino and Naruto had eavesdropped on her argument with Sasori, and Ino specifically had figured out that something was up, Sakura had been dodging toy insinuations.  It didn't help that Ino had started stringing Naruto along so she could be in the house more often.

Sakura had so far managed to keep Sasori hidden during the day, but that hadn't stopped Ino from looking... and prying.

"Oh, don't give me that look," Ino chided.  "We both know he isn't normal.  Just spill already!"

"Absolutely not.  You'll tell everyone," Sakura retorted, grabbing up her bags as it was almost one.  She had a class shortly.

"No I won't!  Girlscout's honor," Ino said, pressing her open palm against her heart.

Sakura rolled her eyes and leveled another reproachful look on the blonde.  "You've never _been_ a girlscout, Ino.  It doesn't work."

Ino shrugged, conceding.  "Okay, point.  But I swear on my mother's _grave_ I won't tell anyone."

"Your mother's alive, Ino," Sakura countered, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

Ino groaned.  "Sakuraaaaa," she whined.  "Pleaaasseee!"

"No."

"But-"

" _No._ "

"Awwww!"

Sakura shook her head and parted ways with the blond, making her way to bio chemistry with Hatake-sensei.  The man was a total perv, but at least he knew his stuff.  He also knew to not stand within ten feet of Sakura if he was going to say something perverted.

She'd sent him through the door once.

And today, she was in for a big surprise.  As soon as she walked through the door, she came to a stop, eyes wide.

The man behind the desk looked up and grinned widely.  "Sakura-chan!" Jiraiya chirped.  "Fancy seeing you here!"

"What.  Are you.  Doing.  Here?" Sakura demanded slowly, advancing on her mother's boyfriend.

He paled and got up, stumbling back.  "O-oh, I'm not staying!  Don't worry!  Just wa-wa-what are you doing?!"

Sakura was reaching for a yard stick.

Luckily, for Jiraiya, Hatake-sensei appeared as if out of thin air, grabbing his hot-tempered student by the shoulders.  "Ah ah ah," he chided.  "No beating up my guests, Sakura-chan."

She jerked out of the teacher's grip and pointed at Jiraiya almost accusingly.  "Why is he here?  How do you two know each other?  And _why is he here_?!"

"You asked that twice," Hatake pointed out.

"Yes I did, Captain Obvious!" she railed.  "Why is he here?!"

The teacher rubbed his surgical mask-covered jaw line, humming sheepishly.  And then his gaze focused outside the window.  "Oh, look, a cat stuck in a tree!  I should go save it!"  He turned and bolted.

"OI YOU HAVE A CLASS TO TEACH!" she screamed after him.

"Ehh... Sakura-chan?  Are you okay?"

Sakura whipped around in a righteous fury, eyes burning, only to immediately stop when she realized who was addressing her.  It was Kiba, and behind him, Hinata had ducked for cover.

"Oh, hi Kiba, Hinata," she greeted, smiling.  "Sorry.  Men are idiots."  She shot a glare toward Jiraiya, who was hiding underneath Hatake-sensei's desk.

"Uhm, okay," Kiba said, not sure if this was an insult.

Sakura realized it could be misconstrued and rushed to reassure him.  "Oh, not you, Kiba!  You're a nice guy.  Did you need anything?"

He blinked bemusedly at her, momentarily forgetting what it was he'd come to tell her.  Then he remembered.  "Oh, that's right!  Kankuro's in town, you remember, he was going to college here for like half a year two years ago?  He stopped by my place asking about that doll you bought."

Sakura stiffened.  "What about my doll?" she demanded.  But no, Kankuro couldn't possibly know about Sasori... right?

"Oh, he was wanting to know who bought it.  I told him you did, and he was all 'where does she live?' but I told him I didn't know.  Seemed kind of distracted, frantic maybe....  Sakura-chan?  You don't look so good..."

She wasn't paying attention, gaze unfocused.  There was only one explanation.  Kankuro knew that Sasori was cursed.  "I have to go," she whispered, and turned away.

"Sakura-chan?" Kiba called after her, surprised.

Sakura reached her car in a hurried daze, started it and was on the highway before she could force herself to focus.  She shook her head, telling herself that the guy probably just liked it and wanted to ask her to buy it.  That _had_ to be it, right?  Well, she'd just turn him down gently.  Tell him no, she wasn't interested, but thanks anyway.

Yeah, that's what she'd do.

Shaking herself, she tried to think of something else the rest of the way home.  And once she'd gotten there, she parked the car and ran inside.  Up the stairs, through the hall, past her door and up to the closet.  She dragged a folding chair over and stood on it, pushing up the panel of the ceiling inside the closet and reaching inside.

Her fingers immediately found what she was questing for, and she heaved a sigh of relief, sagging in place briefly.  Then she pulled him down and hugged him to her chest.  "Oh gods, Sasori.  I had an awful scare."

A creak on the staircase.  Sakura froze, gaze darting to the open doorway.  But she couldn't see the staircase since it was on the other side of the closet wall.  Carefully, she set Sasori back inside the ceiling and closed the panel.  Then she reached towards the very back of the shelf over the hanger bar, straining to grab an old box of comics.

Movement out of the corner of her eye, and she turned her head.  Blinked.  "Oh...  It's you."

Tsunade gave her a look.  "Who else would it be?  Kiba called.  Said you looked sick and came home early.  You okay?"

Sakura grabbed the box and climbed down.  "Just a headache," she lied, smiling.  "I'll be okay later.  Why was Jiraiya at my school?"

The blonde blinked.  "I don't know."  Her brow furrowed.  "I'll... be back in a little while."  She left, likely to go demand Jiraiya to tell her why.

Shaking her head, Sakura set the box down on the corner of her bed and collapsed on top of the comforter.  Thank the gods for false alarms.  She really should stop jumping to stupid conclusions!  Of course Kankuro didn't know about Sasori.  Who the hell would?

She sighed and shut her eyes against the afternoon sunlight slanting in through her window.  She felt exhausted, and it actually was partly Sasori's fault.  He kept her up most of the night to keep him company, so she didn't usually get to sleep until around four in the morning.  Maybe she'd just take a nap, then.

And shortly after, she'd dozed off right there in the fall of sunlight.

xXx

Kankuro glanced toward the window at the end of the hall.  Silence through out the house, and apparently no one home.  But he had to tread carefully.  If that doll was here, he would start walking around very soon.  It was almost dark.

So with this in mind, he hurried into the last unchecked room, and froze in the doorway.  A man sat on the bed, twisted around to lean over a semi-familiar woman.  Haruno Sakura, looking as radiant as ever in the light of the sunset.

But it wasn't the woman that concerned him.  It was the man.  He looked almost exactly like-

"Who are you?" a soft voice murmured.  The man's head was turned slightly, and he was watching Kankuro through the fall of crimson hair out of the corner of his eye.

Kankuro stared at him in mute horror.  Half of him wanted to flee.  The other half wanted to save Sakura.  All of him wondered how this could have happened.  Had the curse been _broken_?  Had the sorcerer and murderer Sasori been set free?  He was supposed to be an animated doll when the sun set.  Not a living, breathing man!

"I asked you a question," Sasori growled.

The girl stirred beneath him, and Kankuro gulped.  "M-my name's... Kankuro."

A sharply inhaled breath was the only indication of recognition either of them got before Sakura shoved Sasori away and sat up, staring at him.  "You know!"

The door abruptly slammed behind Kankuro, and he couldn't move if he tried.  Sakura frowned.  "Sasori, we've talked about this!  No creepy mojo unless we're in danger or it's unavoidable!" she scolded.

Sasori tilted his head, face expressionless.  Like a doll.  "We are in danger, Sakura," he replied calmly.

"You don't know that," Sakura said, prodding his arm.  "Knock it off."

He flicked her an impatient look.  "If this man truly knows about me, then he will prove to be a threat in the future.  It's best if I kill him now."

"Ki- WHAT?!  No!" she protested immediately.

"I can dispose of the body.  No one will ever find it."  He almost sounded hopeful.

"Sa-so-ri," she growled.  "Don't _make_ me break your nose again!"

Sasori actually looked at her in mild alarm at this, and suddenly Kankuro could talk again.  He stared at the two of them in awe.  Human Sasori.  Owned by Sakura.  Maybe the gods were merciful after all.

"So... I'm confused.  How is..."  He pointed at Sasori.

Sakura turned bright red and covered her face with her hands.  Sasori tilted his head.  "She completed the ritual."

"Ritual...?"  Kankuro stared at Sasori, eyes wide.  "Then, that means..."

Sakura peeked out between her fingers.  "Means what...?"

"You got the poor girl to _kiss_ you!" Kankuro blurted.

Sakura turned red again and looked away.  "... gee, and here I hoped it was just my imagination."  She grimaced, crossing her arms, and looked back at Kankuro.  A brow quirked.  "So how do you know about 'Sori, anyway?" she demanded archly.

He fidgeted uncomfortably before just shaking his head and deciding he may as well.  "Well, actually, I'm his descendant.  Sort of.  Descended from his sister, actually."  He shrugged.  "We've been charged the sacred duty of watching over him and making sure he is never able to rise again.  The results would be catastrophic, for starters, and we would not be able to stop him once he was in power."  He tried not to look at the man's face as he spoke.

"For surely Sasori the Black Puppet Master would seduce whomever owned him and then continue his plans that were abandoned so many centuries before."  He paused, trying to remember if that was all of it.  "Oh, yeah, also, he's evil.  I'd suggest you handed him over, except I'm not sure if it's such a bad thing that you own him."

She narrowed her eyes.  "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you're... kind of scary, Sakura-chan," he pointed out sheepishly.  "I don't know any guy in Konoha that wants to piss you off."

"Funny, _someone_ seems to get off on it," she remarked dryly, shooting a glare at Sasori.  He did not reply.

Kankuro blinked.  "Uh, any _sane_ guy," he corrected, staring at the redhead.

Sasori turned his head to meet Sakura's gaze calmly.  "I don't understand the problem."

She rolled her eyes.  "Anyway, Kankuro, Sasori is just fine where he is.  If you try to take him, I will hunt you down and bury you up to your neck in the middle of a dirt road.  Comprende?"

Kankuro quickly nodded.  "Yeah, right, of course."   _Scary!_

At that, she smiled sweetly.  "Great!  Get out."

He didn't need to be told twice, and ran from the room only to stop on the stairwell.  He hesitated, looked back.  Was this really alright?  If Sasori managed to seduce this particular woman, Kankuro was nearly certain that it would mean dire consequences.  But... the kiss had worked.  Somehow, someway, Sasori appeared to care for Sakura.

Kankuro frowned and continued more slowly down the stairs.  He needed to talk to Temari.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the super short chapter! The next WILL be longer, I swear!
> 
> Characters and Naruto do not belong to me, but to Masashi Kishimoto.  
> I am responsible for creating this alternate universe, and the story line only.  
> Please do not take and use without my permission.


	4. Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura has a few questions, after Ino discovers some interesting things about our doll magician.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: AU, slight ooc, het, weird pairings, unbeta'd  
> Dedication: Az, for helping me a ton with the dialogue

"So how are things going with your toy?" Ino asked sweetly, taking a seat without asking during their lunch break.

Sakura choked on her noodles, resulting in her best friend not-so-gently pounding her back so she could breathe again.  "You okay, Forehead?" Ino asked, visibly amused by her reaction.

"Would you knock it off with the toy jokes, Ino?" Sakura snapped irately, and took a sip of her soda.  "How many people do you know that are _toys_?"

"I _know_ what I heard, Forehead, and you were dead serious, so don't even try to fool me," the blonde retorted, eyes narrowing slightly.  When Sakura only scowled at her, she shrugged.  "And _anyway_ , I've been doing research."

Sakura's chopsticks halted halfway to her mouth, and her brows lifted.  "On...?"

"Living dolls," Ino replied bluntly.  "And your purchases.  Apparently, you did Kiba a favor and bought a doll from his shop so he wouldn't get fired!"  She smiled innocently at the rosette student's blank stare.  "Living dolls... turned up nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  But _cursed_ dolls..."  She smirked.

Sakura waited.  And waited.

Finally, Ino couldn't contain herself any longer, and continued talking.  " _Apparently_ , there's been this doll popping up all over the place since about 1622 _BC_.  Does things like killing people in their sleep, stealing their hearts, making women exchange their souls for an imitation of love... et cetera."

Sakura flinched.  Exchange their souls?  Is that what happened?  She looked away from her friend, feeling sick.  But... this wasn't necessarily true, right?  But then again, Kankuro had said much the same thing.  What if Sasori was just using her?

Meanwhile, Ino was still talking.  "Not only that, but there's this big ominous website with only one warning on it and nothing else.  It says "Beware the second coming of the Puppet of the Bloody Sand" in big, bold letters.  It's totally ominous.  I managed to find out about the second coming, too!  It was this lady back like three hundred years ago that had this vision about him coming back.  Apparently, it'll be Armageddon.  Pretty creepy, right?"  She grinned.

Then realized Sakura wasn't listening.  "Sak?  Hey, Forehead, Naruto and Lee are making out over there."

Sakura jerked and looked up at her.  "Did you just-"

"Yes, but I lied.  Don't worry."  The blonde grinned.  "You're not taking all this seriously are you?"  She waved a hand.  "The website and shit?  It's so corny!"

Sakura shook her head, smiling.  "No, I don't think we're going to have Armageddon, Ino.  But I _do_ think you're an obsessive freak for researching that!"

"Oi!"

The rosette girl grinned and got up to throw out her trash.  "Anyway, I have to get to class.  I'll see you tomorrow for the study group?"

Ino nodded, getting up too.  "Yep!  See you then!"

xXx

Sakura was waiting on her bed, staring at the floor when Sasori gained his human form.  She didn't wait for him to speak and instead started right in.  "So Ino read some interesting stuff," she said, the bed dipping slightly as he sat beside her.

He tilted his head at her.  "What 'interesting stuff'?" he queried blankly.

Sakura pursed her lips, trying and mostly failing to look casual.  "Really ridiculous stuff.  End of the world, ancient evil, soul stealing..."  She looked up at him, brow furrowing slightly.  "... all connected to a doll that's been around for centuries..."

His eyes narrowed, and the attempt at off-handedness was ignored.  "You mean me," he replied bluntly.

She almost blushed, but it faded as uncertainty and disappointment quickly set in.  She shook her head, looking down again.  "... Is it you?  Because, I wasn't sure... but I thought it might be, and now you just..."  She trailed off, nibbling on her bottom lip.  Slowly, she drew a deep breath and looked up again, gaze searching his face for any hint of what she wanted to know.  "Is it you?  Is that what you are?"

The redhead surveyed her for a few minutes without expression, and she shifted uncomfortably.  The _tick, tick, tick_ of her bedside clock got louder as the seconds passed, but barely a minute elapsed before he spoke again.  "Do you want it to be?  Am I a villain to you?" he asked quietly.  Still blank-faced.  Still emotionless.  Still a doll, even when he was living and breathing and warm.

Frustrated, she crossed her arms.  "What do you mean, 'do I want it'?  I don't want you to be anything!" she snapped, uncrossing her arms to gesture violently with one hand.  "I want to know what or who you are!  Tell me that first."  The arms crossed again, and she waited.

He didn't say a word, but instead reached out and touched her jaw, then slid his fingers along it and into her hair.  She sighed and closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of his fingers before snorting.  "You think I'd let you touch me if I thought you were a villain?  I'd boot you out of here so fast..." she mumbled.

He withdrew his hand.  "Your confidence is... touching," he muttered, dropping that hand into his lap.

He fell silent again, almost looking _uncomfortable_.  That alone gave her a little hope for them.  For _this_... whatever _this_ was.

"You want to know what I am, then?" he asked, breaking her from her thoughts once more.  He tilted his head.  "The boy already told you that, the one that knew about me.  I am a sorcerer."  He shrugged, as if to say 'but you already knew that', and she huffed.

"That's just a word to me, Sasori," she pointed out impatiently.  "Yeah, okay, so you're a _big, bad sorcerer_ from who knows how long ago that scares Kankuro shitless."  She scoffed.  " _Bravo_!  He left _you_ , his _nightmare_ , with _me_.  I know I'm a scary bitch half the time, but what does it say about you?"  Her brows lifted, lips pursed and arms tightened against her chest as if to shield herself from his answer.

Sasori frowned at her for a beat.  "That he left me here, or that he was scared of me?" he asked finally.

Sakura was tempted to blow up at him for being intentionally obtuse, but in all fairness, it was a legitimate question.  So she reigned in her temper and drew a deep breath.  "For all I know, Kankuro could be scared of bunny rabbits.  I want to know why he figured I could handle you.  Because I have no idea who you're supposed to be."

She got up from the bed and started to pace, knowing he watched her the entire time, without having to look.  "It's kinda like getting a pretty box that everyone is scared of, but I have no idea what's in it."  She turned to face him and propped her hands on her hips.  One hand rose to gesture as she spoke.  "People could be overreacting or I might just be holding a ticking time bomb."

He blinked and tilted his head, brow furrowing as he tried to decide if she'd just called him pretty.  Perhaps he should be offended?  Distractedly, he shook his head.  "Does it..."  He focused on her face and shook off the disturbing thoughts of aesthetic appeal before they started to make sense.  "Does that matter so much?  Who I am?  What I am capable of?" he asked.

She gave him an irritated pout, so he quickly continued.  "Perhaps I should rephrase, then.  It does not matter who I am supposed to be, Sakura.  It matters who I am, doesn't it?"  Her pout turned into a scowl.  He frowned back.  "... why does this upset you so?  I do not understand.  Don't give me that look," he added when she started to glare.  "I've told you.  I love you.  I will not leave you."

Pink hair was shoved distractedly out of her face as she started to pace again, like a tiger.  Her eyes stayed locked on him.  "You told me..."  She stopped, continued.  "You said that when you were still pretending to be something that would only please me.  That wasn't you."  He quirked a brow, and she grimaced, stopping her pacing to stand a few feet away.  "Oh..."

She heaved a sharp sigh and scratched her jaw, brow furrowed tightly.  "Um, look..."  The scowl darkened.  "Arrrrggghhh!  We _all_ have pasts, it's what makes us who we are now.  I don't hold anything back from you."  He opened his mouth, but she waved him off.  "Okay, true, I apparently don't have a few centuries of black memories to go over, but you know me."

Her eyes snapped up to him in sudden realization.  "... is that why you're not telling me?  Because you're scared that I'll leave you?  Is it that bad?"  His face remained expressionless, but she got the feeling that he didn't like being called 'scared', and she sighed.  "That past is _over_ with, it doesn't define who you are.  It just helps you make better decisions for now and the future."

_Gods, that sounds like such a hippy rant_.  "Oh god, I need alcohol," she muttered irately.

"Hm..." was the only response he gave at first.  His eyes were fixed on her, surveying her thoughtfully like a scientist would a lab-rat, and it made her distinctly uncomfortable.  Finally, he sneered faintly.  "When you have... as much ' _practice_ '... with your past as I do..."  He shrugged.  "It defines who you are far more than it would a mortal."  He shifted closer to the edge of the bed, and thus her.

She gave him a surprised look and blinked.   _Wait, what?  He says that almost as if_...

He chuckled softly at her expression.  "Yes.  I will never die.  I am immortal," he said, guessing where her thoughts lie with exceptional precision.  He sighed and looked away.

He didn't meet her gaze, even as he spoke again.  "Yes.  I am... _concerned_ that you will... throw me away, should you discover the truth," he admitted in a near-whisper.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably before reluctantly stepping over and sitting beside him again.  She picked up his hand and pulled it into her lap, gaze softened as she interlaced their fingers.  "If our positions were switched," she murmured, "If you were in my situation...  Would you want to know?  Would you push me away?"

A beat of silence immediately followed, her voice almost echoing in the stillness of the room.  He had stiffened, staring down at their hands, and slowly pulled his away.  "Yes, and yes," he whispered.  "If our positions were reversed, I would lock you in a stone coffin, and toss you in the sea."  He met her gaze unflinchingly, something terrifying and angry there, something that chilled her so completely that she automatically recoiled, and still he went on.  "So that you would never, ever be able to escape."

She swallowed, fighting that instinctive repulsion, that fight or flight response that positively _screamed_ "Danger, danger!  He can't be trusted!" like a wild thing.  She swallowed again.  "Wow..."  She shook her head, shoving back the desire to pull even further away from him.

Sasori hadn't done anything bad to her, right?  And he was being honest, answering the questions she'd asked.  So she shook away her fear and firmed her resolve.  Her chin lifted as indignation replaced terror.  "I should be running right now, shouldn't I?" she demanded with only half feigned irritation.  "And know what you know of me, you're not sure I would do the same?" she added pointedly.

He frowned.  "It takes much longer than a few weeks to know how one would truly react," he admitted softly.  "I am reluctant to find out.  I thought perhaps I could put it off..."

Silence settled for a beat, and then he was reaching forward, fingers clasping her chin.  He tugged her forward and she slapped him.  She was _not_ going to let him distract her, and that was _exactly_ what he was trying to do!

He grunted, pulling back abruptly.  "Very well, be that way.  Yes.  I'm a murderer.  I have slaughtered hundreds and danced in their entrails," he snapped.

Sakura recoiled, eyes going wide.  Abruptly, she stomped out of the room.  A moment later, she returned and shoved him out, then slammed the door in his face.

xXx

Five minutes passed.  Then ten.  Twenty.  Finally, after half an hour, the door burst open again.  She didn't even stop when she saw that he was still standing in the same place.  "You DANCED on their entrails?!" she yelled, half of her hoping he was joking.  He wasn't.

Sasori shrugged.  "... sometimes," he replied blankly, tilting his head.  "Sometimes, I merely skipped a little."

Sakura gaped at him for a beat before closing her eyes and drawing in a deep breath.  "When was the last time you did... _that_?" she asked, making a vague gesture with her hand.

He blinked.  "... fifty years ago, give or take a few days," he answered almost automatically.  "... what?"

The door slammed in his face again.  He blinked some more.  This woman... was forever confusing.  "Was it something I said?" he muttered to himself.

xXx

Ten minutes passed before it opened again, once more with a slam.  He tilted his head curiously.  "Sakura?"

She advanced on him angrily this time, but he didn't budge.  "Do you love all your little girls when you pop up?" she demanded, and abruptly spun on her heel to go perch on the bed again.  "Is that why your trigger is a kiss?  You fall into the hands of whatever girl happens to walk by, say you love them, but really, all you need to do is wait for them to die?  Then you're free?" she demanded, a little hurt.  "To go... dancing, skipping... ugh."  She shuddered.

It was his turn to advance on _her_ , footsteps silent and gracefrul, almost cat-like in a predator-stalking-the-prey way.  He came to a stop in front of her, eyes burning, and she almost drew away.  "... is that what you think?" he demanded softly.

The answer was written all over her face and he jerked back as if struck.  "I do not _love_!" he almost yelled, furious.  "It is a vile emotion that causes even the most powerful man to lose his head!  It creates _weakness_ with which one may use to defeat their enemies.  Even being here with you is _infuriating_!  Listening to your voice makes me want to tear my ears off my own head!"

He started to pace, like a jungle cat watching it's prey but reluctant to go near it, and she could only stare at him in shock and pain.  Her heart constricted in her chest, and she looked away.  He laughed, _laughed_ , at her misery.  It was a bitter sound.

"You look so _shocked_ , Sakura, so _hurt_!  That is what love does to you, and yet I cannot stop this!" he snarled.  "I think about you during the day.  I long to see you when night falls.  I wish I could be with you for every moment of your pathetic little life that will end too soon and leave me alone."  He scoffed and stopped, turning to face her fully with his arms crossed.  "A doll, for little girls to play with, and grown women to fear.  You will soon be gone, and I will have nothing, and _be_ nothing."

He worked his jaw a moment before drawing in a deep breath, sharply through his nose.  "It is...  The kiss worked because..."  He stopped and shook his head, looking away.  "I have not had a human vessel in thousands of years, Sakura.  I did not think I would ever be human again.  Normally, I would look like a puppet.  Not like this."

Sakura clenched her fists, teeth gritted as she fought a battle in her head simply to not start screaming.  She drew in several deep breaths, slowly working down her temper.  Finally, she felt she could trust herself to speak.  "Okay... so that answers my question..." she said slowly, and fell silent again.

He said nothing in reply, and she figured she probably wouldn't get anything else out of him.  But... she could try.  "So..." she murmured hesitantly.  "You're human... no, you _look_ like a human, but obviously you're not."  Her brow furrowed with confusion.  "But you want to be?  I thought you liked being immortal."

And of course, she was ignoring the other issue.  He'd already gone on one rant, so she was completely not dealing with the whole love and obsess over Sakura topic, if she could get away with it.  Nope, not willingly touching _that_ with a ten foot pole!

Sasori scoffed.  "I do.  But when I'm human, I can access my full magic.  When I am human, I can make myself immortal without having to put up with this curse."  He shrugged.

She finally unclenched her fists and frowned at him.  Some more.  "What part is the curse and what part is your own power?" she asked.  "Yeah, I know being a doll is part of the curse, that part is obvious, but what's the rest of it?"

He eyed her.  "I cannot feel.  I cannot move during the day.  I cannot use much of my power..."  He shook his head.  "The most I can do while a puppet is make myself appear human to seduce women."  He paused.  "What?"

Sakura heaved a sigh and shook her head, a little lost with the intake of information.  "Why would it allow you to seduce women?  I thought a curse was supposed to make life just miserable, not make you into a passing wet dream."

He smirked at her choice of wording, and she scowled at him.  "I am powerful enough on my own to be able to bypass some discomfort.  The curse is very specific about what it does, so I may find loop-holes.  And my grandmother was dying when she cursed me."  A thoughtful pause.  "... melting from the inside out, actually."

She grimaced at that.  "Why was your grandma cursing you?" she asked.  "Also, _ew_."

"For what she deemed as my crimes," he replied, and shrugged.  "I merely did what I thought was appropriate given the situation.  I did what would further my own objectives."

She pursed her lips.  "So what was your big evil plan?  World domination?" she asked sarcastically.

He looked away shiftily.  "... Okay," he said.

"Okay?  That's not an answer, Sasori," she scolded impatiently.

His expression said he knew it, but he still tried to come off as innocently confused.  "Oh."  Pause.  "What _would_ be an answer?"

Sakura just glared at him angrily, waiting.  "... that look helps nothing.  Nothing at all," he pointed out.  And then, after a moment longer, he shifted uncomfortably and gave in.  "... yes, world domination."

Sakura scoffed.  "You're kidding!  That's so _cliche_ ," she said, rolling her eyes.  His expression didn't change, and her mouth fell open in shock.  "You're serious."

The look he gave her was just short of 'idiot' and not far beyond 'simpleton'.  "Yes.  I am."  An expectant pause followed, before he crossed his arms and lifted his brows.  "So?"

"Uh, right.  How were you going to do that?"

"..."  Sasori coughed.  "... I... cannot say."

She rolled her eyes again.  "You _just_ told me you danced in your victim's entrails," she retorted, and narrowed her eyes at him.  " _Spill_."

The redhead frowned.  "... well..."

**TBC...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know, I'm evil. You'll live. But I had to split this up into a two-parter, because it was getting long, and the conversation isn't over with yet.
> 
> Characters and Naruto do not belong to me, but to Masashi Kishimoto.  
> I am responsible for creating this alternate universe, and the story line only.  
> Please do not take and use without my permission.


	5. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's an information overload. As well as a couple unwelcome surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: AU, slight ooc, het, weird pairings, unbeta'd  
> Dedication: Az, for helping me a ton with the dialogue

Sasori finally uncrossed his arms, letting them fall to his sides.  He stared at her with that blank expression on his face.  A part of him wondered what she would do to him tomorrow.  The rest wondered how he could prevent it.  But either way, there was no running from these explanations, this talk.

"Alright," he murmured, when she had begun to look impatient.  He looked away again.  "Fine.  I planned on... genocide.  Sort of."  Red eyes shifted to take in her expression.

There wasn't one on her face, just a blank look similar to his own.  "Genocide," she deadpanned.  "Sort of.  How...  How can you sort of commit genocide?"  Pink brows had drawn sharply down and together as she spoke, the expression extremely disapproving.

Sighing, the redhead began to pace once more, mind whirling with all the possible plans, only to discard them as useless.  For all his watching, and all his studying, he still couldn't predict how she would react.  "I would leave my most loyal alive," he murmured absently, "for the rebirth of the species."

Sakura recoiled slightly, mouth falling open in horror.  "Breeding humans?  That's disgusting, Sasori," she said, staring at him.  "What's wrong with the existing population here already?"  But she barely paused long enough to draw breath, and didn't give him a chance to answer.  "And I am _not_ volunteering to be Eve for the largest blue blood colony in the history of idiocy."

The redhead scoffed at her, lip curling slightly as his pacing drew to a halt again.  He ignored her comment and focused on the first half of her words.  "What's wrong with the population?" he demanded incredulously.  "Have you paid _any_ attention to society?  It has become so corrupted that nothing short of near genocide could fix it.  Armageddon, if you want, even."

A slender hand gestured emphatically.  " _Elected officials_ ," and the words were spat out like poison, "look toward their own needs and desires, rather than those of the people as they should!  Monarchs are so few and far between as to be completely useless, and they're biased to their own needs and desires as well anyway."

The pacing had started again.  "Murder is so frequent in the news that I could kill a hundred people in the span of a week, and there will be five hundred more bodies found than I could ever account for."  He bared his teeth at her.  "Theft and greed fester like incurable diseases, arrogance is only two steps ahead of obedient ignorance.

"Pain is accepted as a fact of life.  People have come to _accept_ misfortune, they _accept_ not being able to get what they want, because they _expect_ others to just hand it to them."

He stepped right up to her, fingers reaching out and grasping hers.  "This century is far worse than any before it, Sakura.  Full of all these things, and the _pathetic_ spoiled children that bask on the work of their predecessors as if they _deserve_ the _right_.  They should be taught that they do not."  One hand released hers and reached up, cupping her jaw.  "Taught that they should care more about what happens around them, and less about what they _want_ but will not _get_."

"Woah..."  The pink-haired med-student could only gape at him for a moment, brain scrambling once more to take it all in.  And somehow, somewhere deep inside, a part of her actually _agreed_ with him.  This psychotic, cursed, murdering magician.  She must be losing her mind too.

Finally, she shook her head, dislodging his hand.  "Okay, and you think that you can do better?" she asked, honestly wanting to know.  Frankly, she wasn't sure if _anyone_ could stop this man even if they tried.  Certainly, they couldn't talk him out of it.  "With personally selected breeding stock."

His hands jerked away, face flushing with _anger_.  "They are not breeding stock!" he snapped.  Taking several steps back, he visibly drew back into himself.  "... it doesn't matter.  I never expected you to understand."  There was a hollow, bitter quality to the words as he turned his back to her.

Sakura had to fight down the urge to stop, to just give up.  But she had to _know_.  "Rebirth of the species, Sasori," she said softly.  "Your words, not mine..."

Sasori said nothing, so eventually she sighed and flopped back, covering her face with a hand.  Her fingers rubbed into the bridge of her nose.  She changed tactics.  "I don't understand," she admitted reluctantly, but he gave no reaction to it.  She forged on.  "But... you're basically trying to improve the world, right?  I can understand the desire."  She shook her head.  "The method is a _massacre_ , but it's not a new idea.  Just... maybe you had a better shot at it than the typical Bond villain," she babbled inanely.  Geez, was he always this unnerving when he wasn't talking?

The redhead made no sound, but suddenly he was closer, towering over her, and she peeked up at him through her fingers.  "Their mistake," he sneered, "was ineptitude.  That, and Bond.  Luckily for me, Bond does not exist."

She dropped her hand and gaped at him, and he shifted slightly.  "... what?"

Laughing suddenly at the absurdity of his statement, she rolled over and sat up in a fluid motion.  "Oh God, I love you," she chortled.  "But really, do you still want to do that?"

Red eyes had narrowed slightly, his head tilting as he stared at her.  "... yes," he murmured softly.  And stared.

Then she realized what she'd just said.  Her face heated, and she was sure it matched her hair.  But she barely had time to waste on embarrassment.  He had stepped closer, legs pressing into the edge of the bed on either side of hers.  Cherry eyes flickered over her face, and focused on her lips.

And then his mouth was on her own, drawing her into a steamy kiss.  It was strangled breath and wet, and a tongue sliding inside her, long fingers bracing her neck and jaw.  And _god_ where did a person learn to kiss like this, because frankly, it was like mouth to mouth, orgasmic sex.  Then there was teeth, and somehow she'd ended up under him, and his fingers were sliding over her bare skin ( _where had her shirt gone?_ ).  She couldn't focus, couldn't breathe, couldn't see anything.

It was only him, only his presence, his weight pressing against her shivering body in all the right places.  But it was wrong.  So, so wrong.  Her hands pressed against his shoulders weakly, even as she moaned his name.  He responded by sucking mercilessly on her pulse point, drawing the blood to the surface.  She had to stop.

The panic was rising inside her chest, stomping mercilessly on her hormones.  She wasn't sure what would come first, the vomit or the panic attack.  "Sasori," she gasped, and he moved down to her lace-covered breast.  "Sasori, please..."  Teeth latched onto her through her bra.  "Stop."

The puppet-man above her froze.  "Sakura," he panted, tone strangled.  Wanting, needing.

She choked.  "I can't."  Her head shook of its own accord, and she fought tears of frustration, of confusion.  "I can't.  Not this... not like this..."  She drew in a rattling breath, then let it go abruptly when it just made her breast brush against his jaw.  "I... I just need to think..."

The hand on his chest managed to finally push him away, and she got up quickly.  Her shirt was tossed onto the floor, so she grabbed it and pulled it on before snagging her purse, keys and a jacket.  "I'll be back in a few hours.  Just... wait for me," she murmured, sniffling, and fled.

xXx

As soon as Kiba's door opened, and she met surprised brown eyes, she threw her arms around her best friend's shoulders and began to sob into his chest.  Kiba tugged her inside and nudged the door shut with his foot, arms wrapping around her waist.  "Sakura-chan?" he murmured worriedly.  He had not expected to be woken up at midnight to find his best friend in tears.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked, not moving her further.

She shook her head against his chest, obviously fighting to get herself under control.  He changed tactics.  "Cocoa."

The pinkette pulled away and nodded, rubbing at her tearstained cheeks with the back of her hand.  He lead her inside the apartment and motioned for her to sit on his couch while he left to go make the drink.  After a few minutes, he returned and passed her a steaming mug, sitting down beside her.

"So.  Spill."

Sakura heaved a sigh and shook her head, gingerly sipping the drink.  "I'm sorry.  I can't.  It wouldn't be right... to tell.  It was told to me in confidence, so...  I just needed to get out, come somewhere that I can just sit and think."  She pursed her lips, looking down.  "I'm sorry, Kiba.  This is the only place I could think of."

The male sighed, turning his head as he heard the soft sound of his dog Akamaru trotting through the house.  "Eh, just as well.  Akamaru's missed you."  He grinned at her.

Giggling, Sakura reached out and scratched the big dog's ears.  He licked her hand in thanks before curling up at her feet.

Her movement shifted her shirt, and Kiba let out a soft curse.  "What the _fuck_ , Sakura!"  He jumped up, startling the dog into rising too, and went to make her show him the large bruise.  "Is that a hickey?  Sakura, is this because of that new guy you've been hanging out with?"

Her mortified flush was all the answer he needed, and Kiba went after his shot-gun.  "Kiba, no, wait!" she yelped, diving after him.  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and threw her weight back, dragging him off balance and into a heap on the floor.  Then she put him in a chokehold and held him in place, brows furrowed with determination.

"Listening?"  He grunted angrily.  "Good.  I don't want you going after my- after Sasori, okay?  Sasori is... I like him.  I really do.  He's good to me.  He hasn't forced himself on me, like you seem to be thinking.  In fact, when I chickened out and told him to stop, he did.  And then he let me walk away without even stopping me, okay?  You with me?"  He growled.

"I care about him.  A lot.  Like, I blurted out that I loved him earlier.  Which is kinda what lead to the... you know, stuff.  But anyway.  I wasn't just saying it, okay?  I mean, I think I do- stop squirming or I'll break your arm!  Listen.  If I need a knight in shining armour, I'll tell you.  But obviously, as the current circumstances are proving, I can take care of myself."

He finally slumped, making a face, and touched her arm in a silent request for release.  Hesitantly, she loosened her grip, watching with a heavy dose of guilt as he sucked in a breath and started coughing so hard his face turned red.

After a few minutes, he managed to catch his breath and rolled off her, flopping over face-first onto the carpet.  "Fuck, Sakura... When you have problems, you _really_ have _problems_ ," he wheezed, chest heaving.  He shook his head and pushed himself up to sit seiza.

Rolling her eyes, she gave him a wry smile.  "Buddy, you have _no_ idea," she retorted, thinking about her murdering psychopath-sorcerer guy.  She sighed.  "I wish I _could_ talk to you about it.  Maybe I already know what you'd say, but...  it would still be nice to unload, you know?"

Kiba rubbed his jaw, eying her.  "Man, really?  Why not just talk to me about it, Sakura-chan?  It's not like I'll go telling anyone, and it's obviously upsetting you."

She lunged forward, hugging him, and he flailed before falling over onto the carpet again.  "GAH!"

"Sorry," she mumbled, holding on as tight as she could.  "I just... I can't.  It's so screwed up on so many different levels..."  But a part of her almost wanted to tell Sasori that it was okay.  And then a part of her demanded to know if he'd been screwing with _her_ head.

He heaved a sigh and sat up, pulling her up with him.  "You wanna crash on the couch tonight?"

For several minutes, she actually entertained the idea of telling him _yes, she would_.  But she'd told Sasori she would be back later.  Somehow, she got the feeling that he would disregard her request for him to wait there if she didn't show up again soon.  Hell, maybe he already had.

The thought made her quickly pull away from Kiba, leaving him looking bewildered.  "Thank you, though, for letting me wake you up in the middle of the night and be all obnoxious..."

"Er...  Yeah," he said, blinking at her.  "Make it up to me by begging my boss not to fire me?"

The pink-haired girl beamed at him.  "Sure!  Hayate-san owes me one."  She gave him another hug before finally getting up, and he followed suit.  "Bye!"

Kiba watched her put on her shoes and leave, frowning.  Sakura had pulled back in on herself again.  It always happened.  Whenever she was happy, she was one of the most open people he knew.  But when she was angry or sad, she pulled in on herself.  That hadn't been angry.  It had been sad, and something else.  Something that made Kiba nervous.

Who could scare Haruno Sakura to tears?

xXx

Sakura walked up the stairs slowly, chewing on her lip.  The door to her room was ajar, but the inside was dark.  Still, she knew he was there, waiting for her.  And she knew she would have to tell him that while his desire to improve the world was understandable, he couldn't just kill everyone.

She had friends and family, mentors and teachers, people she looked up to, cared about...  She couldn't let him do something so horrible.  If she had to, she'd figure out a way to stop him.  Somehow.

Drawing a deep breath as she crested the stairs, she stopped.  "Okay, Sak, you can do this," she murmured, eying the darkened doorway nervously.  "Just like kicking Sasuke's ass that one time when he was bullying Shikamaru-san."  She nodded firmly to herself and... just continued staring at the door.

She swallowed.   _You're being silly, Sak!_   She had just finished telling Kiba how Sasori wouldn't hurt her, so why was she being such a ninny?  Taking another breath to steel herself, she pushed open the door and stepped into the darkness.

 _Welcome to the Dark Side, Haruno Sakura.  Here's your complimentary cookie._   She resisted the urge to smack her forehead with a hand.  "Sasori...?" she whispered, then wondered why she was whispering.  Was it the creepy there-is-someone-here-watching-her atmosphere?  Or the soft clacking in the shadows near her bed.  Clacking, like the sound of a doll moving.

Had he changed back?  Was it her fault?  "Sasori?"  Her voice was unnaturally loud in the stillness.

"No," a soft voice muttered eventually.

Sakura sucked in a breath at that pained sound, and slapped the light switch, turning on the overhead light.  Ino sat on her bed, hands holding an old porcelain doll of hers that Sakura vaguely remembered from their childhood.  That had been the noise.

But that wasn't what caught Sakura's attention.  It was the old grungy jacket pulled over a cut shirt.  It was the black eye, the split lip, the hastily put-up hair.  It was the old sweats, the bruising wrists that looked like they'd been tied together.  It was the fact that Ino wasn't meeting her gaze, even though she knew how she must look.

Swallowing, Sakura walked over to her and sat down on the bed.  "Ino."  It was obvious what had happened, so she didn't ask.

The blonde swallowed.  "Um, yeah.  You were... expecting it to be that redhead, huh?"  She lifted the doll so it stood on her knee, and made it shake its head slowly, as if in disappointment.  "You naughty, naughty girl..."

"Ino."  Sakura gave her a heartbroken look.  "Who did this?"

The doll stopped moving, and the blonde rested it in her lap.  She didn't answer for a moment.  Then, a quiet, "I don't know," was all Sakura got.

There was a noise in the hall, and when Sakura looked up, Sasori was standing there, staring at the blonde on her bed.  Sakura shook her head at him.   _'Not a good time,'_ she mouthed.

"Hi, Sasori-san," Ino mumbled.

Sakura winced.  Dammit, she'd seen him.  "He was just coming to tell me he's _leaving_ ," Sakura said pointedly.

The blonde surprised her friend by laughing bitterly.  "Oh come off it.  I _know_ what he is, Sak.   _Who_ he is.  Stop pretending you're still keeping it from me."  She shook her head, obviously fighting tears.  "Best friends tell each other these things.  You know...  antichrist puppets and getting raped by random str-"  She choked, gasped, and let out a wretched sob, then gulped and tried again.  "Strangers... when going home... fr-from a party."

And then she was babbling, words almost incomprehensible, a long string of sound that Sakura _heard_ and _understood_ , but couldn't fathom for a second.  "I don't even know him.  He was just there, in the park, standing around like some... lost little boy.  I asked him if he needed directions...  He told me his little sister fell and twisted her ankle, that he was looking for help.  I went with him, and the next thing I know, he's shoving me up against a tree and I'm screaming and-"

She collapsed in on herself, crying loud and hysterically, and Sakura could do nothing but wrap her arms around the blonde and draw her close.  Ino clutched at her, crying into her shoulder, terrified and trembling.  The pink-haired girl's eyes slipped closed, tears of anger and helplessness rising, but she fought them down.  The last thing Ino needed was for Sakura to lose it too.

"I will be back."

The sudden, soft, furious words had Sakura's eyes snapping open and turning to where Sasori had been standing.  He was gone, but there was the sound of footsteps falling softly down the stairs.  Sakura sucked in a gasp.  "Oh no."

Ino had grown quiet, and she pulled back.  "Where is he going?" she asked, fighting herself back under control.

"I think he just went to find your rapist and murder him."

The girls shared a quietly shocked look, then Ino shook her head, resigned.  "You want to go after him.  Go.  I'll wake up Naruto and sit with him."

"I'm sorry," Sakura whispered, and gave her a hug before flying after her sorcerer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffy of doom! Comment please!
> 
> Characters and Naruto do not belong to me, but to Masashi Kishimoto.  
> I am responsible for creating this alternate universe, and the story line only.  
> Please do not take and use without my permission.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasori is out for vengeance, while Ino copes with tragedy, and Sakura tries to make sense of her own feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, people. I would like to note something right now. Thank you to everyone that has read this and my other works. This said, there is something I'd like to say.
> 
> I am super glad you all like this story. I am delighted that it has moved people to do things like translate it so they can read it. That says so much about my talent as an author and a storyteller (the both of which are mutually exclusive, in most cases).
> 
> However, please DO NOT take my story and post it somewhere else.
> 
> If I want to post it on places like FanFiction.net or mediaminer, or even AdultFanFiction.net, I will go and do so. I have accounts on all of those, and more.
> 
> I have chosen not to, and will not again in the future. I wish for The Cursed Doll to remain on dA and Ao3 for now. Thank you in advance for respecting my wishes.
> 
> Warning: AU, slight ooc, het, weird pairings, very dark themes, unbeta'd  
> Dedication: Azhwi, for being the most fantastic person alive, and Soale, for being an amazingly flattering reviewer. Thanks to everyone else who has stuck with me and reviewed so thoughtfully! Please don't stop now!

It was probably the easiest search and find Sasori had ever done.  The man had left traces of himself on Ino, strings from his soul, and Sasori followed them.  His fingers plucked at them like puppet strings, sliding down, catching, tracing to their source.

The man lived near the park he'd raped Ino in, something that the sorcerer found incredibly foolish.  It took hardly any effort at _all_ to trace his lust back to his apartment, and open his door.  The man nearly fell out of his chair in shock when the door slammed against the wall.

Sasori stood before him, teeth gleaming, eyes half-mast and empty, lips pulled up in a parody of saccharine sweet happiness.  " _Hello_ ," he whispered.  "I am Sasori."

And that was it.  The only thing said between the two of them.  Just enough to draw the man's attention to Sasori's eyes, and he was caught in the sorcerers trap.  He never even had a chance.

xXx

It wasn't all that hard to find Sasori.  It wasn't like he was hiding.  From anyone.

Off in the direction she had last seen him go, near the park, she found him.  The apartment door on the second floor hung open, darkness beyond, and Sakura instinctively knew that was where she needed to go. She raced up the stairs, making her way to the door in no time, and stopped.

There was silence, and a silhouette standing on the linoleum.  No.  Two silhouettes.  Standing face to face.  She fumbled for the light, finding a switch near the door and turning it up.  The hallway light flared to life, flooding her vision briefly.

When it cleared, she stared at Sasori and a dark-haired stranger at least twice her age.  He wore a button up shirt soaked in blood, and a pair of jeans.  He was barefoot, aside from more blood.  But... where had the blood come from?

"Sasori?" she whispered softly, staring at the two, who stared at each other.

And then, to her horror, both turned their heads to look at her, with the same expression on their faces. Complete disinterest.  " _ **Sakura**_ ," they chorused.  " _ **You have arrived.**_ "

"Oh my god."  She backed away, a hand lifting to cover her mouth.  Pieces clicked into place.  The blood, the hole now visible in the man's chest, right over his heart.  The lump of bloody something by Sasori's foot.  "Oh my god." She felt sick.

" _ **Sakura...**_ "

"No!" she yelped, stumbling backwards outside the door.  "No, Sasori.  Stop.  Just stop it!  That's not funny, it's not cool, it's- it's horrible!" She couldn't believe her eyes. Was he really capable of such an awful thing?  There was a world of difference between hearing it and witnessing it.

Sasori tilted his head.  His puppet did not.  "He hurt your friend.  Is mercy what you would have me show this man?  Because you will be disappointed."

Her head was shaking without her consent, and she was taking another step back, into the night.  "No.  Just no."

The redhead lunged forward, catching her before she could run.  Fingers on her wrist, covered with blood.  On her elbow, leaving blood behind.  She pulled back, recoiling, and he jerked away.  She stopped, staring at him.  The redhead waved a hand, and there was a tell-tale thud from the apartment of a body falling over.

"This... my puppetry.  It disturbs you," he said, tone soft and sad.  "More than the fact that I kill people."

"What did you expect?" she snapped.  "It's a walking, talking dead body!  That's- that's just..."  But she couldn't find a word that fit.  Nothing that worked.  God, what was she doing?  Why was she _here_...?

He looked away from her and she swallowed. She shouldn't have left Ino alone right now, and this just... was _not_ helping. _I don't even know what to do_ , she realized, staring up into his face.

Sighing, she shook the thoughts away and forced herself to focus on what was happening. A hand gestured weakly off in the direction they'd come from.  "Can we just... go home?  I don't... I don't wanna stick around.  The cops'll show up eventually."

And she didn't know how she'd explain it to them, or explain to him why they couldn't let the police catch them like this.   _Please just don't argue_.  Her luck held, because he was nodding.  Then her luck laughed in her face and shoved her off a bridge.

" _No, Sasori_ ," she snarled furiously when he turned to go back inside.  "We're going, _now._ "

The doll-man halted in his tracks, and turned a narrowed-eyed look on her, but she didn't budge. Didn't let on just how _fucking scary_ this guy was, because a part of her took some masochistic thrill at his anger.  That same part of her shivered with delight when he walked past her without a word, leaving a trail of bloody footprints behind.

"' _Sori_!" she protested, hurrying after him.  "Your feet!"

He sneered, spun and picked her up.  Then, ignoring her wail for release, he _jumped into the fucking trees_ and started _running_ through them!  She was _never_ going to get used to this shit!

Maybe that was a good thing.  Maybe he'd just leave in the middle of the night.  Maybe he wouldn't. Maybe she was just crazy.

 _yes, crazy, that's the word I'm looking for_.  Haruno Sakura, adopted daughter of Tsunade, med-student and regular blood donor had lost her frickin' mind.

Then, just as suddenly as he'd grabbed her, Sasori was setting her down on her feet with rather confusing gentleness.  Wasn't he angry with her a second ago?  But no, his expression was still stony.

"We are home," he said, lips pressed together with displeasure. But when she turned to enter the house, his hand was on her arm, grip tight and bruising. "You drive me to madness, Sakura. I do not know how to please you, or why I even want to." His fingers released her wrist, lifted to brush her cheek. Froze. "Why, _why_?" Fingers curling but not hurting, locked in place by unconquerable effort. "You're just madness, Sakura!"

Temper flaring, she slapped his hand away and stepped right up to him. "I'm madness?! You're the idiot that just goes around wantonly killing people!"

"He hurt your friend!" he hissed angrily.

"Yeah! I know! That's why I'm not more pissed off about it!"

"I did it for you!"

Sakura fell silent, eyes widening at the abrupt admission. It's almost sweet, in a psychotic, axe-murderer kind of way. But... it was wrong, wasn't it?  To feel that way, to feel _justified_ in letting him kill the man?

The pink-haired girl exhaled slowly as realization dawned.  She could lie to him all she wanted, but she could never lie to herself.  A part of her had been _glad_ he'd taken off like that, taken the decision to get angry, to get vindication away from her and dealt with the problem.  And, knowing that, she couldn't in good conscience be angry with him.

Tense shoulders relaxed, slumping as she dropped her head down to rest on his chest.  He just sort of stood there, letting her have this moment of weakness, as if he was uncertain how he could even deny her.  "I'm sorry," she mumbled, feeling his stiff arms lock around her after a beat.  She slid her own around his waist to clasp in a similar manner behind his back, and stepped closer so that they were all but sharing the same space.

"You're right, Sasori," she mumbled against his permanently borrowed shirt.  "He hurt Ino, and he deserved to be punished.  I mean... I guess I just don't..."  She sighed, turning her head so that her cheek pressed against his collarbone, green eyes closed tight.  "Ever since you popped up into my life, things have just seemed so... _surreal_.  I feel like I'm sinking in a pool where there's no water, so I have no idea how to swim to the top.  But you... it's like you find it so... easy.  You do what you feel you need to do, without guilt, or much thought at all.  You know what you want and you aim for it, but I...  I don't even know what I want."

His body slowly loosened against hers, hold gentling.  "I want you," he murmured.  "And I want everything else."

She smiled, faintly, a little bit pained at the thought.  "You're so greedy."

"You can want me back," he offered after a moment, pulling back just far enough so that he could force her to look up at him.  His lips pressed against hers, eyes meeting hers, and he let her pull away seconds later.  "I want you to want me back."

Sakura sighed.  "I do want you back, Sasori, but it's not that simple," she tried to explain.

He scoffed.  "Why isn't it?  I love you, I want you, I want to keep you and have you want me back.  And you want me back, as you've said, so why isn't it that simple?  Why can't it be?"

She didn't have an answer for that.   _Why can't it be?_   But she couldn't find the answer, not with any of her logic.  The best she could come up with was, _he's crazy_ , but what sort of answer was that?  He wasn't crazy in a manner that left him unaware of his surroundings.  In fact, he was more aware of them than most people that she knew.  He just... wasn't particularly interested in the _lives_ of the world at whole.

Sighing again for what seemed like the gazillionth time that night, Sakura offered him a smile.  "I don't know."  She shook her head.  "But I'll have to think about it later.  Right now, my best friend is upstairs with my brother."

He stared at her silently for a beat, then nodded.  "We'll go see her, then."

"Thank you."  She stepped back from him, feeling like she'd just gone through the longest night of her life with still more time to go, and walked into the house.

xXx

Sakura was awoken around ten the next morning by a hand shaking her.  Feeling groggy and completely drained, the pink-haired female opened her eyes and her mouth to yell at Naruto.  Why couldn't he just let her _sleep_?

But Naruto wasn't the blond waking her.  Everything rushed back, forcing Sakura awake with a suddenness that should have made her head spin.  She sat up, blinking worriedly at her friend.  "Ino?  Are you-" she stopped, deleted the word _okay_ from her vocabulary, and tried again.  "Did you need anything?"

Blue eyes met hers, and her best friend - who had ended up crashing over last night - gave her a wan smile.  "Your boyfriend has a creepy sense of humor," she said, pointing.

Sakura followed her finger to the end of the bed, and rolled her eyes.  Sasori had set himself up against the bedpost, his face looking directly at Sakura so that when they woke, his doll form was doing the same.  "I think he's been sneaking peeks at those Chucky movies," the med-student explained, shaking her head.  She reached out and scooped him up, using the same motion to climb out of bed.

Once he was propped up on the dresser, Sakura started going through her closet.  "I think I have some of your clothes here from the last time you stayed over..."

"Oh... thanks," Ino said, voice muted, though she was obviously trying her best to be chipper.  "I hope you don't mind, I used your shower..."

"No, that's fine.  Aha!"  Sakura withdrew with a pair of blue jeans - her own - and one of Ino's shirts.  "Here."  She noted that her friend was wearing some boxers of Naruto's and one of his over-sized T-shirts.  "Did you... uh, I have some underwear...  Well, I mean, it's clean..."  She fidgeted.

Ino gave her a smile, and shook her head.  "Don't worry.  I just sent Naruto out to buy some upon pain of death."

Sakura forced a chuckle and tossed the clothing at her friend.  "Bra?"

"He's getting that too."

"Okay."  Sakura snatched up some clothes for herself, and turned toward the door.  "I'm gonna shower myself, then I'll start breakfast.  Do you have classes today?"

Ino shrugged when her friend paused to look at her.  "I don't... no."

Sakura didn't question it, and nodded.  She left to bathe.

xXx

Naruto returned while Sakura was in the shower and started breakfast before she could, for which she was grateful.  She checked the fridge for any notes from their mother - apparently, Tsunade had been on-call and had to go deal with some emergency - before she started pulling things out to make smoothies for the three of them.  Naruto made a load of bacon, and eggs with cheese, and Ino made toast with butter.

It wasn't until they had all sat down that Ino finally mentioned the elephant in the room.  "I'm sorry," she said, with the air of someone regretting a decision.  "I didn't mean to interrupt your night, guys, I just didn't know who-"

"It's fine," Naruto interrupted, so firmly that she looked up at him in surprise.  He frowned at her.  "I don't want to ever hear you apologize for coming to us for help again, understand?  We're your friends, Ino-chan, and that's what we're here for."

Sakura couldn't have said it better herself, so she nodded and gave her best friend a smile.  "He's right, Ino."

Ino bit her lip, looking down at her plate.  "Oh," she murmured.  "Thank you... Naruto-kun..."

The other blond smiled at her.  "Did you wanna stick around today?  I can call teme over, and all of us can play hooky with video games."

"I'd like that," the girl in question murmured, giving Naruto a relieved smile in return.  "Playing video games... and maybe watching movies...  I have the urge to watch 'Chucky' for some reason, and possibly 'Chucky's Bride'..."

Sakura made a face at her.  That was just cruel, but whatever helped Ino through the day was worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know this is super short, and Im sorry! Please review anyway, and Ill reward you with another chapter as soon as I finish it. Lol thanks!
> 
> Anyway, yup, that is the end of the question arc (I swear, I didn't mean for it to last three chapters!!!) so next time we get to move on! I hope this wasn't too confusing for anyone, but if it was, feel free to PM me with any questions, and I will answer to the best of my abilities! Please try to keep the questions focused on clarifying what has already been said. Thanks!
> 
> Characters and Naruto do not belong to me, but to Masashi Kishimoto.  
> I am responsible for creating this alternate universe, and the story line only.  
> Please do not take and use without my permission.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When acceptance finally comes, calamity strikes in the most horrendous fashion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: AU, slight ooc, het, very dark themes, angst, character death, unbeta'd
> 
> Dedication: Azhwi, who takes as much delight out of my twisted mind as I do. Love you dear!  
> Rating: M (this means MATURE THEMES- heed this! Keep a tissue on hand, just in case)
> 
> Also, I would like to take a moment to note that, if you are interested in a squishy, fluffy story with a happily ever after ending for everyone, and flowers and weddings, and all things good and pure... go away. This is about to get a whole lot worse before it gets any better.
> 
> Additional Warning: I am one TWISTED FUCK. You have been warned.

"I can't believe it," Ino moaned, flopping down on Sakura's living room couch.  "School is almost over.  Just a week, and then Summer, and then we're seniors.  Can you believe it?"

The pinkette, brows lifted as she stared at the blonde with her mouth full, said nothing.  Ino cringed.  "Whoops.  Food.  Anyway.  Hurry up and swaaalllooowww..."

"Sheesh," Sakura muttered after gulping down the bite of sandwich.  "No, no, I can't believe it."

She got a cheeky smile in response before Ino changed the subject.  "Sooo?  How's tall, dark and creepy?"

"Don't call him that," Sakura muttered absently, reaching out to turn the page on the text book she was trying to read.  She had a supposed 'end of year' exam tomorrow that she had to study for, and she just knew Sasori would distract her.   _Sometimes I wonder if keeping him around is worth it..._

"Fine, I won't," Ino said sulkily.  "But answer the question!"

Sakura heaved a sigh and sat her sandwich down, giving up on studying.  Apparently Sasori wasn't the only one that enjoyed distracting her.  "Um..."  She thought about the broody redhead.  "Well, he's been pretty hot and cold lately...  Ever since... that big discussion," she said, carefully avoiding That Thing They Didn't Talk About.

Though she knew his recent behavior had less to do with Ino's not-to-be-discussed assault and more with her reaction to his 'puppetry'.   _If I'd known he'd be this inconsolable about it..._   Well, there was no telling what she would have done instead.  Maybe the same thing.

At any rate, a whole month had passed since the incident, and while it was clear that Ino was pretty much repressing the whole thing, at least she wasn't sobbing all the time.  That would have probably been worse.

She sighed, thinking about the man who had claimed to love her.  There were times that she believed it, too.  And then others, far more frequent in occurrence, that she wondered just how crazy the both of them were.  He still prodded about his 'plans', and it was quite obvious - to her at least - that he wasn't about to give them up.

In the end, she wondered if she'd have any other choice but to surrender.  Could she do that?  Give in completely and just let him have his way?  What about her friends, her family?   _I can't just let him do what he wants_ , she thought in dismay.

"Oy, Forehead, are you listening to anything I'm saying?!" Ino yelled, and tackled her over the arm of the couch.

They landed in a heap on the other side, fingers pulling at hair, nails digging into arms, voices raised in angry protest... until someone cleared their throat.  The girls fell still, Ino flat on her back under her best friend, and Sakura's wrist trapped in the blonde's mouth.  Their limbs were horribly tangled from the scuffle.

Above them stood a very different blonde, brow twitching as honey eyes narrowed at the brawling girls.  "What's this about, you idiots?" Tsunade demanded, propping her hands on her hips.  "And is it necessary?"

Ino growled.  "Mmmf mm mmfmfmm mmm!" she said around Sakura's wrist.

Sakura scowled.  "I was not!  I was thinking!   _Thinking_!" she yelled unnecessarily.

"Mmm!?"

"Uhg!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes.  "Okay, now translate that into English, instead of grunt-ese?"

Blue and green eyes blinked at her in surprise, before Ino spat out the captured wrist, releasing Sakura to get up.  The pinkette helped the blonde up, and both scowled at the other.  Finally, the instigator spoke.  "I said she was ignoring me," she said.  "But she called it 'thinking'.  But that's stupid.  It just proved my point, so I said 'see?'"  She offered the doctor a smile.

"Cute," Tsunade said, and crossed her arms.  "You're both picking up the livingroom.  Yamanaka, your mother called.  She wants you back home by ten."

"Oh..."  Ino glanced toward the window, and the falling sun.  It'd be dark within the hour.  "Um..."

Sakura cleared her throat.  "Okay!" she chirped.  "We'll get to cleaning right now!"  She pushed Ino toward the knocked over lamp a few feet away, muttering, "I'll walk you back."

Ino relaxed in relief, and Sakura frowned.  A part of her didn't regret what Sasori had done that day.  That part seemed bigger and bigger every time Ino flinched or hesitated.  The biggest regret she had these days was that she hadn't been able to tear into the asshole herself.

xXx

Sighing as she closed the door behind her, Sakura glanced around the house.  "Tadaima," she called into the warm semi-darkness.

There was the sound of the fridge closing from the kitchen, and then Naruto appeared, holding a jug of milk in one hand and a bowl of cereal in the other.  "Yo, Sakura-chan," he greeted.  "Ino get home alright?"  He would have gone with them, but one look at Sakura's insistent scowl at the time and he'd retreated.  Apparently Sakura had wanted to do 'girl talk' with her friend, and he wasn't about to risk life and limb to stop them.

Sakura smiled at the look on his face, knowing very well what was going through his head.  "Yeah.  Her mom thanked me and so I came home."

"Took a while."

"Yamanaka cookies."

"Oh."  Those big blue eyes widened, and his lip trembled.  "N-none for me?" he asked, looking dismayed.

The pink-haired med-student rolled her eyes, fishing a bag out of her purse and throwing it at his face.  "You're such a baby," she accused, smiling as she toed off her shoes.

He cheered triumphantly before quickly escaping back into the kitchen.  Sakura shook her head and went upstairs.  Her bag was dropped down beside the dresser in the dark, and she wasn't really that surprised when the door snapped shut.

"Hi, Sasori," she said, reaching out and flicking on the light.  She blinked at the sudden brightness, brow furrowing with faint irritation, before turning her gaze to her bed.

That was when normality jumped out the window, leaving her alone in a room with Sasori... and Sasori.  "What. The. Fuck," she bit out, eyes wide as she looked back and forth between the two identical redheads.

The one sitting on the bed canted his head to the side slightly, blinking back at her.  "It's a puppet," he said slowly, pointing at the one standing right in front of him (and _looking at her_ ).

Her eyes focused on the fake, taking in the intricate, life-like design.  Hesitantly, she approached, running the fingers of one hand along a pale cheek.  At first, he _looked_ like a living human being, but... the "skin" was definitely not human flesh.  She could feel the rough, coarse texture of wood-grain.

"Wow," she breathed, looking at the real Sasori.  "This is wonderful.  I didn't know you could _do_ something like this..."

He gave her a faint, hopeful smile.  "You are pleased, then?  I had hoped you would be... since you did not show approval of my puppetry before..."

"This is because of that?" she asked, brows quirking abruptly in surprise.   _Because I hadn't liked that thing with the body?_

Sasori nodded, eying her carefully.  "Yes."

She was... oddly touched by this.  Had it really bothered him _that_ much?  Apparently so.  He'd gone so far as to... to _change_ the way he did things, just so he could please her.  "Oh, Sasori," she breathed, sitting down beside him.

Blinking, he shifted to allow her to throw her arms around his shoulders.  "... Sakura?" he murmured, eyes narrowing when she chuckled.  "Does it please you?"

"Very much," she agreed, releasing him.  A bright smile crossed her lips.  "Thank you, Sasori."

Something in him untensed visibly with relief.  "You're welcome," he replied.  "I will use wooden puppets instead of the bodies then."

Her face scrunched up at that.  "You really know how to ruin a sweet moment.  Even if it was morbid to begin with."  He just gave her a flat look, so she smiled and redirected her gaze to the puppet.  The smile faded as she memorized the intricate design.  "... you're still planning on doing it, aren't you."

The redhead didn't answer for several long moments, but finally nodded.  "Yes.  I am."  He didn't need to ask her what she meant; they both knew of his plans for the world.

"Sasori..."  Sighing, she sat back, wrapping her arms around herself as she thought about it.  All those people, hundreds... and it would be _her_ fault for releasing him upon the world.  Suddenly, she felt a bit sick, and when she felt the brush of his fingertips, she flinched away.

His hand dropped.  "How can I make it better?" he asked softly.  "I have no wish to make you sad."

She looked up at him, anger shifting to the fore.  "Don't kill people, then!" she roared, and jumped to her feet.  "That would make it better!"

"People will die," he replied calmly, shrugging.  "Even if my goal was not to eradicate most of them, they would still fight me."

"Arg!"  She stomped a foot childishly, frustrated.  She caught sight of the bewildered-looking puppet and gestured toward it frantically.  "That!  That!  You can do _that_ instead of making zombie puppets!  Why can't you make some sort of compromise about the damn 'world purification'!"

A crimson-haired head tilted, curiosity visible.  "Your problem is so much death, then... and you want a compromise?"  He blinked at her, and then his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.  "Then, if I remove the excessive death from the equation, you would be content?"

She rotated her jaw, eying him suspiciously for a beat.  She nodded.  "I... would."

"Would you?" he asked, watching her intently.  "Would you truly accept such a thing?  It would still mean I would take the world.  It would mean that they would still fight me, and that people _would_ die."

The pink-haired girl shifted uncertainly.  "I... I guess... yeah."

"You 'guess'?" he echoed dubiously.

"Yes.  No.  I mean..."  She shook her head.  "I don't... know.  I just...  Yeah.  That would... that would be better than near genocide."

Sasori relaxed, and flicked his hand.  The puppet stepped away from the bed, going over to the corner and sitting.  "Then I will compromise... if you agree to _my_ terms."

The med-student had been half expecting something like this, and yet somehow she was still caught off guard by the move.  Nonetheless, she nodded slowly.  "I'll hear them, then."

He rose to his feet, stalking forward, and it took pure will-power not to take a step back.  She was glad she hadn't, because he almost looked proud of her when he stopped before her.  Those pale hands lifted, cupping either side of her face, and tilted it up for a sweet, near heartbreaking kiss.  When they parted, he looked so sad, so reluctantly wistful.  "Stay by my side, Sakura.  Never leave me."

Dark green eyes stared up into dark brown, wide with surprise.  "That's it?" she asked, shocked.  That was what he wanted of her?   _Her_?   _His 'condition' is me?_

He nodded, pressing his forehead against hers.  "Yes.  That is what I want most dearly."

"I..."   _I don't know what to say._   "I'll try."  That was the best she could guarantee.

But he wasn't going to accept that.  "Sakura," he breathed, pressing his mouth against hers briefly.  "Promise.  If you want a compromise, we both must give something."  He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.  "If you want me to spare their lives, give me your own in return.  It is a small price to pay, isn't it?"

He wasn't above manipulation; she'd known that for a while.  But it still stung that he'd try it so quickly.  And yet...   _yet_... wasn't it just cutting to the chase?  It may have very well boiled down to him saying such a thing anyway.

In any case, he had a point.  How could she expect to ask him to change for her without willing to change herself?

Sakura drew a slow, deep breath and held it for a moment, hesitating nervously.  She was a bit afraid of what this would mean, though.  It meant being with him, possibly forever- possibly _forever_ , if he managed to make her like himself.   _Can he do that?_

Would she be able to commit to that?  For them?  For strangers?   _For myself?_   That was what it boiled down to, wasn't it?  The question wasn't 'could she deal with it', it was 'did she want to take that chance'.

Did she want this man, as he wanted her?

The tightness in her chest almost made her think no, but then she exhaled abruptly.   _It's okay.  It's alright.  He is Sasori, and he won't ever hurt me._

In the end, the decision was surprisingly easy to make, and easier to say.  "Okay.  I promise."

Sasori kissed her again, this time longer, deeper, more claiming.  Possessive almost, as he dragged her close to him and held her there.  A sweep of the tongue was the only warning before it thrust between her lips; she opened them for him.  The brush of a grin before he nipped tender flesh; she tasted blood.  Fingers digging into the small of her back, pressing their hips together.

And then it was nonsense.  It was breathless.  It was dark and him and her and nothing else but the fabric of a blanket beneath her chilled, irrationally bare skin.  ( _No time to wonder when she'd lost her top..._ )  His teeth were digging into her pulse, marking, tongue sweeping over it to taste.  ( _No focus to think about what this meant..._ )

She almost pushed him away, almost, _almost_ ( _OH Gods!  What am I doing, what's happening?  Oh my god!_ )- but she didn't need to.  The doorknob rattled, and they both froze in place.  "S-Sakura-chan!  Sakura-chan, please!  Come out!  Sakura!"

A sense of dread pooled in her chest at the sound of her brother's voice.   _Fear_ and ice mixing, numbing her, keeping her in place.  Sasori sat up and rolled off her.  He held out her shirt.  "Go."

Sakura took it, letting him drag her to her feet and walk her to the door.  Finally, she managed a hoarse, "O-one second."  Her hands fumbled with the fabric, a sense of urgency preventing any grace.  Finally, he stepped away, into the shadows, and she cracked the door open - she didn't even bother asking herself when he'd locked it.  "Naruto?"

He was crying.  Her sweet adopted brother was sobbing softly, hiccuping in between words as he babbled his way through a half-incoherent explanation.  The gist made her blood chill.

There was an attack at the hospital.  People were shot.  Tsunade-okaasan was shot.

Sakura didn't cry, or break down.  Her world narrowed to the present; all thought of what ifs and could bes were denied and forgotten.  Her hands went to his shoulders, turned him around, marched him down the stairs.  He didn't even notice Sasori following them silently; frankly, neither did she.

Using a calm voice and firm words, Sakura convinced Naruto to stop crying, and tell her the finer details.  He didn't know much.  Sasuke was on his way over to give them a ride there; Naruto had called him immediately, when he was still in shock, still able to talk without blubbering.  Some crazy guy mad with grief over the loss of a loved one had shown up at the hospital with a gun.  He'd smuggled it in and started attacking people.

Her hands were steady as she pulled Naruto out the door when Sasuke arrived.  She learned more from him; his brother was at the scene now.

The man had gone after Shizune-san, their mother's best friend and head nurse, first.  She was the target.  Shizune died immediately.

After that, Sasuke said, Tsunade showed up.  The woman had fought tooth and nail, even after getting a bullet to the chest.  It took three to take her down, and they had her in surgery now.  The guy was dead; Tsunade had bashed his head in with a paperweight.

A part of Sakura was proud that her mother had gone down fighting.  The rest treaded frigid water, functioning on backup reserves and steely determination.  She didn't have time to think of feelings.

When they got to the hospital, Uchiha Itachi was expecting them.  He said they couldn't go in; the doctors were trying to save her life.  Sakura dragged every detail out of him that she could, relentlessly, ruthlessly, not letting up until she was satisfied.

The picture he painted was forlorn.  Tsunade wasn't going to live.

xXx

Several hours passed them by in a fog of pure mechanics and dazed indecision.  At one thirty six AM, Senju Tsunade finally passed away.  Sakura could only stare blankly up at the acting physician; his name tag said ' _Yakushi K_ '.  Beside her, Naruto burst into tears all over again.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Yakushi-san said calmly, clinically.  He reached up, adjusting his glasses.  "I'll leave you alone.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask myself or the receptionist."  He pulled out a card and handed it over; she took it numbly and just stared down at the kanji printed there.

He left while she was distracted, but she would never even notice.  A hand grabbed hers, pulling it over and interlacing their fingers.  She looked at the redhead, blinking some more.  "Sasori...?  Why... are you here?"

"You need me," he replied quietly.

She only stared at him.  Comprehension wouldn't come, her mind couldn't fathom the words stuck on repeat within it.

_Your mother is dead.  Your mother is dead.  Your mother is dead._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I warned you. I am incredibly twisted! Dont worry, this isnt nearly the end though. It will get angstier, and it will continue... Feedback is appreciated! Thankies.
> 
> Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters do not belong to me. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Kishimoto-san's affiliates.  
> By the same token, this story does not belong to anyone else, and as such, and elements not associated with Naruto or Kishimoto-san are by proxy mine to do with as I please. Do not take and reuse, redistribute or warp in any manner. Thank you.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life goes on, despite how hard it can be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: AU, slight ooc, het, weird pairings, very dark themes, unbeta'd

The trip home was silent, aside from Naruto's stifled sobs.  The walk inside the same.  Sakura made her brother go to his room, left him in Sasuke's hands.  Then she wandered into her room, all in a mechanical daze.

Sasori didn't leave her side the whole time.  "Are you okay?" he asked softly, once they were alone.

Green eyes shifted to look at him, the door clicking shut in his wake.  "Okay?" she echoed, brow furrowing.  "Yes..."

He stepped into her personal space, pressing a kiss to her forehead.  "I'll be here," he murmured, and then tugged her over to the bed.

She hesitated at the edge, recalling what they'd been about to do before...   _Bad thought_.  "I... Sasori..."

"It's alright," he muttered.  "Not tonight."

"No..."  She shook her head.  "I don't want to think about it."

Sasori frowned at her, and then turned away, climbing onto the bed.  He turned down the comforter and the sheets and slipped under it, then held out his hand.  "I'll hold you."

Her fingers curled around his, letting him pull her in as well.  She curled up by his side, and let him hold her until she fell into a dreamless sleep.

xXx

The next morning dawned deceivingly bright, birds singing outside.  Sakura lay completely still for a long moment before she realized she was holding Sasori tightly to her chest.  She pulled him tighter.

A part of her was sad and confused.  Why was today so sad?  Why did she feel bad?  She couldn't understand it, in that fog of hazy cheer and vague shadows cast by the sun streaming through the bedroom window.

Then she caught the sound of banging on the front door, faint and muffled through the house.  Automatically, her feet swung over onto the edge of the bed, and she lurched up onto them.

Distantly, she noted that she was still wearing her clothes from last night.  Her shaking fingers fumbled with the lock on the door, and then she was stumbling down the stairs.  Halfway down, she heard a soft, familiar pair of voices.

"... still asleep.  They were both pretty out of it.  I think Sakura just conked out the second we got here."

"I see.  Well, I have no official business with them, so it's alright to let them-  Sakura-san."

The pink-haired girl trailed to a stop between the end of the stairs and the sort-of foyer, blinking bemusedly at Uchihas Itachi and Sasuke, the latter of which had apparently gotten the door.  "Sasuke-kun...?"  What was he doing here...?  She clung to the doll, still sleepily dazed.

Itachi's dark eyes were sad, and his brother's face pulled into a faint frown.  "Sakura.  Let's go get you some breakfast.  Itachi-nii was just leaving."

Her brow furrowed even further, coupled with irritation.  The fog was lifting in the face of that, and suddenly recollection came like a knock to the head.  Her fingers tightened on Sasori, and her nose was burning.  She couldn't blink her sight clear.

"... I'll go.  Good morning, Sasuke," Itachi muttered, and turned away.

The door shut on his blurry visage.  Sasuke stepped over, pulling her into a hug despite the wooden doll between them.  The dam broke completely, releasing its waterfall of tears as she let him cling to her.  Her sobs were loud and long and hard and _oh gods I want my mommy_!  "Mommy...  Mommy...  Mommy..."  The words an unheard chant, her free hand clutching at Sasuke's arm around her.

xXx

Jiraiya showed up drunk later that night, half-stumbling beside Kakashi-sensei and laughing at absolutely everything.  Naruto helped them to the living room, and Sakura made coffee.  The blond hadn't cried since last night, mostly because his sister had been doing so off and on all day.

From the moment their extra company arrived, things got rowdy.  Kakashi, Naruto and Jiraiya began singing odes to Tsunade, laughing as they consumed still more alcohol filched from the woman's hidden stash.  They even managed to get the still-present Sasuke to join in after a while.

Sakura was disgusted with them, and eventually retreated to the kitchen to cry alone.  Though, considering Sasori had haunted her steps since dusk, 'alone' was a bit of a stretch.  He took the seat on the other side of the table and said nothing, expected nothing.  Finally, she started to talk anyway.

"I can still remember the day she adopted me," she whispered, clutching a cold mug of coffee in her hands.  "Mommy and daddy... they'd just died.  A car wreck, I was told, but... I wasn't really old enough to understand."  She stopped, gasping for deserted breath as the tears welled up again.  Spoke through them at last.  "Tsunade-okaasan... she came in there and told me she wanted to bring me home with her.  I told her not without poor, lonely Naruto-chan.  Naruto-chan was my new friend, you know?  And he was so sweet and gentle and I didn't want to leave my new friend."

Her lip trembled.  "She adopted him too."

From there, she shifted her focus to Naruto, and it was easier to breathe as she told Sasori all about Naruto-chan and how Naruto-chan never knew his parents because they died before he was born.  She hiccup'd as she told him how Naruto-chan never had a mommy, and Tsunade-okaasan was the first person he ever called that.

Sakura was crying again, dissolving into wordless mumbles and probably getting tears in her coffee.  Except she wasn't holding the mug anymore and by the way, when had she gotten into Sasori's arms?  She clung to him as she sobbed again, wishing selfishly that it was her mommy holding her, and not Sasori.

She wanted her mommy.

xXx

Jiraiya ended up staying the night.  Morning came, and Sakura felt all cried out.  She wandered downstairs to find Kakashi slouched over the kitchen table, drooling onto it.  She made hangover remedies; somehow she didn't cry when she read them from Tsunade's recipe book.

By the time Naruto and Sasuke stumbled down from upstairs, she had four mugs prepared.  She scooped one up and went in search of her late mother's boyfriend.  She found him on Tsunade's bed, curled around a pillow with a jewelry box in one hand, crying in his sleep.

She reached out, gently prying the box away, and stared sadly down at its contents.  The tears came again, and she curled up next to her could-have-been daddy.  A moment passed before he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, burying his face in her hair.  The tears didn't stop.

xXx

Ino showed up later, having finally heard the news from Kiba, who heard from Sasuke but had been unable to come and thus told Sakura's other best friend.  The two girls retreated to her room, and they did each others hair.  Neither talked about the elephant in the room; neither needed to.

Instead, Ino redirected Sakura's attention to friends and school and things that were good.  She babbled about the boy she was seeing, and how cute he was and how nice he was and how much of a pervert he was.  She ignored the short moments when Sakura's thoughts strayed, and the med-student cried again.  The blonde spoke over Sakura's stifled whimpers, and quickly came up with things that forced Sakura's mind away from her sorrow.

When the sun ducked behind the horizon, and Sasori transformed into a living being, the blonde didn't bat an eyelash.  She finished painting Sakura's nails as Sasori sat on the bed behind her and ran his fingers through her hair.

Sakura spent the rest of the night with them.

xXx

And so the days passed, until a week had come and gone.  The day of the funeral was upon them, and Ino stood behind the pinkette, finishing the tiny braids on either side of her head.  "Look at you," the blonde murmured, smiling in the mid-morning light at Sakura's reflection.

But the med-student in the bathroom mirror couldn't return the gesture.  She just gave herself a tired, worn look before meeting Ino's gaze.  "Thanks."

"Make-up," was the tart response.  Ino turned her around and made her sit on the counter before picking through Sakura's stash.  She did her up with subtle tones before manhandling her friend back to the bedroom to change.

"What are you wearing?" Ino asked as she went to the closet.  She tugged it open, frowned as she glanced through it, and looked at Sakura.  "The only black you have is a mini-skirt from high school and a pair of mesh stockings."

Sakura shrugged helplessly.  "I prefer brighter colors," she admitted.

The blonde clucked her tongue.  "Luckily for you, I have emergency rations."  She left the room, returning with a duffel bag moments later, and pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans.  She thrust them at Sakura before snagging a pair of heels out of her closet.  These was forced on the pinkette too, before a shiny satin halter top was flourished in her face.  The belt Ino wore completed the look.

"There.  I had a feeling you'd be useless in the clothing department."  Ino eyed her up and down, reached out to adjust the top, and beamed as her hands dropped.  "You look _hot_ in my clothes."

Sakura managed a luke-warm glare, fingers fidgeting with the hem of the shirt.  "That's not the point of this, Ino."

Blue eyes rolled.  "I know that.  But still- oh, no, that won't do!  Tug it down like this- see?  That's sexy."

"It's a _funeral_ , Ino," her friend snapped, temper fraying.  "I'm not _supposed_ to look _sexy_ for my MOTHER'S FUNERAL!"

Ino's expression saddened.  "Of course you are," she murmured.  "It's what she'd want."

Mouth shutting with a click, Sakura was nearly overwhelmed by the renewed urge to curl up and cry.  "I'm sorry," she managed when she was sure she wouldn't.

Her friend wrapped gentle arms around her, hugging her tightly.  "No, no, no, don't be sorry, sweety," she whispered reassuringly.  "That's not what I want at all.  It's okay.   _I_ should be sorry.  I just... I just figured that Tsunade-san would... she'd want you to dress really nice, you know?  Thumb your nose at all those people crying and looking sad, and be _strong_."

Sakura nodded against Ino's shoulder.  "Yeah," she breathed.  "Yeah.  Okay."

Ino sighed.  "Would a jacket make you feel better?" she asked her friend.

The rosette girl paused for a beat, during which she finally stepped out of the embrace.  She swallowed a wave of tears, trying to claw their way up her too-tight throat, and nodded.  "Yeah, Ino... but I don't have anything black..."

The blonde smiled and shrugged off the suit jacket she was wearing.  "There.  Problem solved."

Eying the blonde up and down, Sakura only then realized how half-hazard Ino's own ensemble looked.  Black slacks that hadn't been ironed lately, close-toed heels and a slightly-too-large black button up shirt with long sleeves.  She pouted.  "Why do _I_ have to look 'sexy' when it looks like _you_ just threw on whatever was in the closet?"

Ino shifted uncomfortably at her accusing tone, gaze moving to the jacket she still held out.  "Well... I... don't... feel sexy.  But you are!  And I thought 'why waste that shit', and I guess I really didn't even _think_ right- if you wanna switch shirts, or grab something from the store on the way, we can, I mean, it's totally okay, I get it."  She cut off and looked up, meeting Sakura's gaze for a beat.

Exhaling, the pink-haired girl finally took the jacket.  "No.  This is fine.  Besides, we don't really have time..."

Pastel blue eyes darted toward the alarm clock by Sakura's bed, and Ino strangled her own yelp.  "Oh my god!  You're right!  We have to go!" she yelled, grabbing her friend by the wrist.

Sakura's eyes widened, and she jerked back.  "Not without him!"  She dashed back to the bed, scooping Sasori up, and let her friend yell and rant as she dragged her away.

xXx

The funeral was long and gloomy.  And open casket.  Sakura couldn't help but stare at the face just barely in view from her seat beside Jiraiya, a part of her wondering who had arranged it all.  She certainly hadn't.  Had it been Naruto?  Or maybe someone else?  And what about Shizune?  Was she having a funeral somewhere else, too?

Despite the depressing atmosphere, and the brooding, Sakura was silent and tearless the entire time the man spoke.  Even while they walked out to stand around a dirty hole in the ground, the casket on some sort of wheeled bed that Sakura really didn't pay much attention to.  She didn't need to quash down panic or sadness when they lowered the woman into the ground.

All she had to do was stand there while Naruto gave a short, tearful eulogy before being escorted away from the open grave by Sasuke.  Then the priest asked her to step up.  She clutched her doll closer, staring at the man, horrified.   _They want me to talk?  I can't... I can't say... anything..._

"It's okay," Jiraiya whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.  He pulled her into a hug, smiling bravely.  "We'll do it together, you and I."

She gave no response, so he walked her up to stand where Naruto had, and they both stared down into the hole for a moment.  Sakura felt scared, all of a sudden, her fingers clenching Sasori so hard they were going numb.   _Tsunade-okaasan's going to be in the ground... she won't be able to breathe!  How do they expect her to breathe?!  WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM!?_

Jiraiya spoke, startling her from her semi-claustrophobic terror.  "Senju Tsunade."  He gulped; Sakura heard it.  "Love of my life.  Spitfire, that one."  He chuckled wetly.  "I knew her for a very long time, since we were kids, you know?  There's... there's no easy way to describe what kind of woman she was... but... I think the best way is to tell you a story."

He hesitated, uncertain, and Sakura slipped one hand into his.  He squeezed it and gave her a grateful smile; he was speaking for them both now.  "When we were kids, there was this brook we used to play in.  It was very small, but very pretty.  The kind of place you imagine when you think of childhood dreams, and forgotten, wistful memories...

"Anyway, so we played in this brook, almost every day."  He smiled sadly, drawing a steeling breath.  "Over this brook was a pretty, fairytale-esque bridge, with wide cobble-stone pillars, time-aged sturdy oak and railings that went up to my chest.

"Was my favorite place for the longest time, mostly because sometimes joggers went by."  The implication earned him a tearful smile and a pinch from Sakura.  Someone sniffled; it may have been Naruto.  "Right.  One day, Tsunade and I were playing- well, wrestling around in the mud.  There was this little dog that had been laying on the edge of the brook, and we didn't even notice.  Did eventually, of course, but by that time the dog was nearly dead."

He shifted his weight, grip tightening briefly on Sakura's hand.  "Tsunade... the first thing that little girl did was pick it up real gently and rush off.  Me?  I was sitting there in a puddle of confusion over a seemingly dead dog.  Didn't know _what_ to do.  But not Tsunade.  She knew _immediately_ that she wanted to save that dog.  Did, too."

A wistful smile crossed his face.  "That's what she's always been, you know.  A healer.  A lover.  A giver.  Senju Tsunade wasn't just a woman.  She was the best woman.  She was better than any one of us, than all of us put together.  She's the woman that I would have asked to be my wife."

Sakura's cheeks were wet, and her eyes were burning.  She broke down into soft sobs, turning to bury her face in his chest, clinging to him and her doll like the only lifelines left for her.  Distantly, she knew he was walking her away from the hole, but she didn't care.  It didn't matter.  None of it did.  Tsunade was gone, snuffed out in a handful of moments, and Sakura hadn't even gotten to say goodbye.

xXx

Kankuro sighed.  "It seems I was right after all.  He really has settled down," he murmured, watching his sister flutter about the kitchen.  "No issues, no signs; he listens to Sakura as far as I can tell, and she seems happy with him."

"I think it's too soon to let your guard down, Kankuro," Temari said pointedly, flipping the omelette over in the pan.  "Just keep an eye him for a bit longer.  That bastard can't be trusted.  He's _evil_."

Shrugging, he couldn't deny that one.  "Well, that's beside the point.  Sakura's got him leashed tighter than a dog to a pole."  He sighed at her look.  "Alright, alright.  I guess you're right.  As usual."  He scooted off the stool and went to raid the fridge for a drink.  "Breakfast ready yet?  I'm starving!"

Temari gave him an annoyed look.  "Just wait, will you!  I'm working on it, you impatient ass.  It's not like this is easy for me, you know!"

His eyes widened and he flailed, ducking behind the fridge door before she could pelt something at him.   _Scary_!  "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arg, that was a lot shorter than I expected it to be, but to make up for it, the next chapter will be _stuffed_ with content.
> 
> Admittedly, I wrote most of this in a depressed funk, but that’s when I get my most poetic. It’s unbeta’d as of now, but I’ll fix it later. Eventually.
> 
> Anyway. Feedback’s lovely! Have a nice day!
> 
> Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters do not belong to me. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Kishimoto-san’s affiliates.  
> By the same token, this story does not belong to anyone else, and as such, and elements not associated with Naruto or Kishimoto-san are by proxy mine to do with as I please. Do not take and reuse, redistribute or warp in any manner. Thank you.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With heartbreak comes a form of peace. However, Peace will not be coming any time soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you think! I had a lot of trouble with this chapter, but hopefully it’s not so bad now.
> 
> Warning: AU, slight ooc, het, weird pairings, very dark themes, unbeta’d  
> Dedication: Azhwi, for being amazing!

After the funeral, Sakura still wasn’t doing so well.  Naruto ended up taking up care of the house, and he even got a job for the duration of the summer.  Jiraiya dropped by a lot, more than happy to help out.  He apparently had decided to take up Tsunade’s slack, and Sakura normally would have been grateful...  But she couldn’t work up the energy.

She could barely work up the energy for anything these days, really.  She got up, she got dressed, she wandered through the house... Sometimes she left the house when Ino or Kiba came to get her.  Sometimes she saw movies with them, things she couldn’t remember the details of later.

Sometimes she cried.  In the kitchen over a bowl of soggy cereal.  Out on the back deck, staring over the lawn furniture that Tsunade had bought a month ago and never used.  Sitting in the living room, on the couch with the TV blaring about toothpaste, except she wasn’t listening.  She was crying, because Tsunade used that toothpaste, and shouldn’t she be here still to enjoy it?  Or at least complain about it.

Sometimes Sakura just lay in bed, all day, with her eyes closed.  Pretending she was living her old life again, and Tsunade was going to come in any minute to yell at her about skipping school.

Sakura would doze off there on her bed, and when she opened her eyes again, would stare at the door and wait for it to open.

It never opened.

xXx

Sasori wasn’t really helping, honestly.  At night, when he thought she was asleep, he would slip from the room and leave his puppet sitting at the end of the bed.  She once wondered if the puppet would move without him there, but she supposed his silhouette would be enough to turn away anyone that would potentially disturb her.  It was a creepy little fucker, sitting there, still and patient.

A part of her continued to wonder where he went, what he was doing, and why she just didn’t care if he was slowly taking over the world behind her back.  And a part of her knew the answers anyway.  The world could fuck itself for all she cared.  The world had taken her mommy away.

xXx

Ino came calling one day, sometime in late afternoon, and dragged Sakura to the library for ‘goof-offy study-like time’.  Sakura told her that didn’t make sense, and Ino just laughed and said, “Butts, Forehead.  Butts.”

“What does that _mean_?” the pink-haired girl asked, utterly confused even through her heavy-hearted fog.

The blonde’s answer was another bout of laughter as they settled at a table in the very corner.  “It means Shikamaru and Sai work here for the summer, and they both have nice butts.”

Sakura sighed and rolled her eyes.  “Alright,” she muttered, and stared down at the book Ino had apparently gotten her as a prop.

It was a Western Fairy Tale.   _The Frog Prince_.  It told of a prince cursed to be a frog and a selfish human girl’s half-hearted actions that turned him into a prince again.  For some reason, the story unsettled her.  How could he stay with this horrible, spoiled girl even after she had treated him with contempt and selfishness?

How could he _love_ her when she clearly hadn’t loved him from the start?  Why did _she_ get all this even though she didn’t deserve it?  Just because she was pretty?  That was the worst sort of excuse, and it almost burned through the fog of depression with anger.

Except then she remembered that this was just a story, and getting worked up about it was silly.  Sakura set aside the book and got up to get a new one, barely drawing Ino’s attention.

xXx

When darkness fell, Sasori was already prepared.  Sakura was gone, but he knew she was off with her friend Ino, and so he wasn’t worried.  Really, escaping the house was a simple matter.

Using filched cash to ride a bus to Suna was slightly harder, but not by much.  Somehow, he manage to catch the last bus of the evening.

He rather thought that Sakura’s friend Kiba was a bit of an idiot.   _“Huh?  Kankuro?  Oh yeah, him and his sister live in Suna.  I can get you an address if you want?”_

It had been effortless to glean information from the boy.  All he’d had to say was that he was Sakura’s boyfriend, and he wanted to thank Kankuro for stopping by a couple times to help.  Kiba had been more than willing to offer any assistance he could for his grieving best friend’s sake.

Part of the sorcerer wondered if it wouldn’t be a good idea to simply get rid of the boy soon.  Well, if he proved to be a liability...  Then Sasori would revisit the idea.

In the meantime, the redhead was in Suna now, after so many hundreds of years.  The place was at once nostalgic and foreign to him.  A mystery and home.  It remained beautiful to his eyes, and he decided that when he had the world in his hands, he would live here with Sakura.

But first things first.  He had to find the cure.  Dark eyes lifted to survey the house before him, and he smiled.  That part wasn’t far in coming at all.

xXx

It was ten in the evening before Sakura realized how late it had gotten.  “Oh shit!” she gasped, and started to throw her things together.  “I have to get home.  Sasori’s probably worried about me!”

Ino rolled her eyes.  “Aww c’mon I left a note for Naruto.  I’m sure Sasori will find it too.”

“Not if Naruto sees it first and throws it out,” Sakura retorted, scooping up the two books she’d decided to take home with her.

She didn’t wait for Ino’s answer and hurried over to the check out desk.  It was just as well that she was leaving now.  The library was only open for another hour.  “Hi,” she gasped to Sai behind the counter.  “Can we make this quick?  I have to get home.”

Sai shrugged, brows lifting as he eyed her curiously.  “Do you have a library card?”

“What?  Oh.  Right, yeah,” she said.  She dropped the books onto the counter and then half-twisted around to rifle through her bag.  Victory was short-lived due to urgency, and she slapped the card into the pale boy’s palm.  “Hurry, please.  I have a date.”

Was it sad that these days, _lying_ about Sasori was almost second nature?  She thought it probably was, or at least, she could find no reasonable excuse for it.  She _was_ in a sort of relationship with him, though, wasn’t she?  Except she really couldn’t call him her ‘boyfriend’, or her ‘lover’ because both were so ridiculously inaccurate that they were almost funny in reference.

_Boyfriend.  Wouldn’t that be nice, Sak?  To be able to call him yours.  Truly and completely yours._  But Sasori’s heart was clearly divided.  Between vendetta and obsession, passion and determination that was centuries old.  She had tried to change that, or at least delay it.

However, given Sasori’s recent string of disappearances, it didn’t appear that she had succeeded.

Sighing, Sakura accepted her books back and stuffed them in her bag before pocketing the library card.  She waved distractedly at Sai, trailing outside.  As she pushed out the door, she heard Ino call her name but simply slowed so the blonde could catch up.

Her thoughts remained on Sasori.  Sasori whom was so lovely, so protective, so mysterious and _cruel.  Not to you, though, right Sakura?  He’s not cruel to you.  He always tries to please you._

Maybe, then, she was the one being half hearted about this.  Clearly, the blame didn’t rest completely on Sasori’s shoulders.  She was the one that kept hesitating, kept letting people interrupt.  Kept letting life catch up and pull her away.  If only she could stop being so... so _indecisive_.

She was just...  so afraid of getting hurt, so afraid of giving in.  He could rend her to pieces if she let him have that.  He could...

“SAKURA WATCH OUT!”

The scream was all but drowned out in the sudden press and jerk, the heavy thud of something making impact, the pain that in delayed reaction only followed moments later.  So much pain.

Sakura was thrown through the air to tumble onto the ground.  Jarring and jerking.   _So much pain_.  And Ino’s horrible, horrible scream, following Sakura into oblivion.

xXx

The sorcerer returned home past two in the morning.  His search, his efforts, had been in vain.  The Sabaku siblings Kankuro and Temari had known nothing.  The only thing that had kept him from outright _killing_ them as they bled on the floor was the fact that Sakura had made him promise.  Promise not to kill needlessly.

So he’d left them alive, barely, and headed back.  He did not expect to find Ino waiting on Sakura’s bed, with Sakura nowhere in sight.  This was a bit familiar, though, so he thought perhaps something had happened to Ino and Sakura simply hadn’t made it home yet.

Except...   _Hadn’t they left together?_

“Sasori-san?”  She had apparently noticed his silhouette in front of the window.  “Is... is that you?”

He frowned, walking over to the light switch and clicking it on.  Ino’s eye make up was horribly smeared and her eyes red and swollen from crying.  She sniffled as she looked over at him, and burst into tears anew.  “She’s in the hospital!”

Sasori’s world tilted on its axis, and dumped him off his feet.  For a moment, he could scarcely breathe through the pained weight in his chest.  “What happened?” he choked out, voice strained and low.

She lifted her arm, attempting to stop crying as she wiped at her eyes with her sleeve.  “I... I don’t... she wasn’t paying attention...” she gasped through the tears.  “She’s... she was hit by a... a car...”

“I want to see her.”

xXx

There was something to be said for the clinging aura of a hospital.  Sometimes expectant, others angry.  But there was _always_ sorrow, in every nook and cranny, brought on by pain and fear and loss.

Sasori ignored this as he slipped through the window of Sakura’s hospital room.  He paused behind the curtain, listening to the soft voices within.  He couldn’t hear Sakura’s.

“And there’s no hope?” a deep, solemn voice asked; Sakura’s friend Sasuke.  The boy she’d dated once upon a time.

Someone sighed; their voice was unfamiliar as they spoke up.  “No.  Well, not much.  I doubt she’ll last the night, and even if she does, she won’t survive the week.  There’s too much damage, too much we can’t fix.”

A rustle and the click of a door knob.  “Oh.  Ino.  Welcome back,” Sasuke said.

She sniffled loudly.  “Yeah.  How’s she doing?”

The doctor left as Sasuke told her.  “So there isn’t much hope.”

“Nothing at all?”  Ino sounded distressed.

Sasori could hear the sound of a chair being dragged a few feet.  “Sit,” Sasuke ordered.  “You went to tell her boyfriend?”

He supposed that was his cue, and stepped out from behind the window curtain.  Sasuke’s back was to him, and Ino was perched in a chair beside the bed.  “He’s right there,” she muttered, even as Sasori bypassed them both to skirt the bed.

His fingers reached out for Sakura’s face, but jerked back at Sasuke’s voice.  “Don’t do that.  Don’t touch her.  She’s-”

“I heard,” Sasori growled, furious and sad all at once.  “Leave us alone.”

Ino’s brow furrowed as she got up and grabbed Sasuke’s hand.  “C’mon, Sasuke-kun.  Let’s just... give him a few minutes to say goodbye, okay?”

The Uchiha sighed, eying Sasori closely for a beat, before nodding.  He let Ino drag him away without another word.

In their absence, the silence of the room was almost stifling.  Sasori’s fingers brushed along her arm, even as he tasted despair.   _She won’t last the night._  Sakura was going to die, and in the end, he hadn’t been able to protect her.  He could do _nothing_ to save his precious girl, _nothing_.

For the first time in his life, Sasori was truly helpless to change anything.  The feeling was unwelcome and disheartening.  No, more than that.  It really was like the carpet had been ripped out from beneath him, leaving him to stumble in an attempt to regain his balance.  Except he couldn’t seem to do so.  He couldn’t regain his balance, because the world was spinning around him.

And the words wouldn’t stop echoing in his head.   _She won’t last the night._

Over and over, like some sick song skipping on the record track, with no hand ready to correct it.  No one to help.  No one to fix things.

No one to ever make it go away.

Sasori dropped to his knees beside her, staring at her still form, riddled with tubes and wires.  So battered, so torn up...

A single, impossible tear slid down his cheek.

xXx

Dawn came eventually, and Sasori started awake with the feel of sunlight on his face.  There was a blanket on his shoulders, and the soft sound of the heart monitor in his ear.  He looked over at it, at the steady _beep beep_ of Sakura’s life continuing on.

Slowly, he sat up, the blanket falling to pool on the seat behind him.  His eyes shifted over the room, over the obvious evidence that someone had been there recently.  There was a tray of food nearby, with a note.

‘ _Here you go.  I figured you’d be hungry.  Thanks so much for staying with her through the night!  Your friend Ino said you two are engaged.  I’m very sorry you’re having to go through this._ ’

It was signed ‘Karin’.

He left the food and the note where it was and leaned over Sakura, brushing hair from her face.  “Sakura... please wake up,” he murmured softly.

His fingers slid up into her hair, the beautiful pink strands almost alive in the warm glow of the sunlight.

Realization came swiftly, and suddenly.  His gaze snapped to the window, to the light of morning outside.  And words were in his ear, in a voice he hadn’t heard in too many years to count.

‘ _To feel despair, to be broken completely, to have your soul wrenched to pieces because you have lost **everything** is the only way you will ever become human again._ ’

Whispered words over his newly puppet body, so long ago with his grandmother laying beside him.  How could he have forgotten that?

Not that any of it mattered.  Not anymore.  Sakura was gone, and there was no... no need for him to be human.  There was no point in it.

_Such a cruel woman you were, grandmother_ , he thought, sitting back down into the chair he’d vacated.

The steady drone of the life-support machines drew his attention.  She still wasn’t gone.  Hadn’t the doctor said she wouldn’t last the night?  Then again, he had said it in such a manner that it seemed to suggest there was the _slightest_ chance Sakura would.

How could it be so?  Was Sakura fighting, even now?  Even while she slept, looking so beat up and so very much bereft of life?

He had to believe that this was true.  He _had_ to.  He had to hold out hope for his beloved girl, who had given up so much of herself for him already.

xXx

The door of the room opened, and Karin yelped.  “Holy _hell_ , Sasori!  Do you _have_ to do that?” she complained, stepping inside with the cart of supplies.  When Sasori merely stepped out of the way before returning to his usual spot at Sakura’s side, the redheaded girl rolled her eyes.  “God.  Well, if you’re going to be here, _out of visiting hours_ , I must add, at least make yourself useful.  I have to change her clothes and bedding.”

Sasori frowned at her.  “What do you need me to do?” he asked, soft-spoken as always.

“Help me move her onto this bed here,” Karin replied, hurrying out the door to grab a wheeled stretcher.  “I have to change her bedding, then her clothes, and we’re short-staffed this morning.”

The man just nodded silently and did as she asked without question.  She frowned as she set about changing the sheets on Sakura’s bed.  A part of her felt a little sad for the poor guy.  Ever since they had brought Sakura here a week ago, he had showed up and remained by her side.  He’d even gone so far as to somehow get the agreement of Sakura’s care provider - Naruto - and Uchiha Itachi.

Personally, Karin didn’t mind him.  He was nice enough.  Quiet, and willing to help if he was needed.  Though, the nurse was pretty sure that had more to do with the fact that it would be helping _Sakura_ than it was helping Karin.

She wasn’t going to complain, however.  He cleaned up after himself and didn’t bother the staff, so all was fine.

“Okay!” she chirped as she settled a newly changed Sakura back into her bed.  She reached down and tugged up the covers while Sasori turned back around.  He had politely turned his back while Karin changed the girl.   _Arg, why does everyone else get the good guys?_ she wondered unhappily, but pasted on a smile.  “I’ll be back to check on her again in an hour.”

He nodded, watching her gather up her things and go, before taking his seat beside Sakura once more.  Sakura was, clearly, going to live, and he had hope that someday she would wake again.  Until then, he had the perfect opportunity to work unhindered.  He would perfect the world while she slept, so that when she awoke, she would not have to worry anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A part of me is a little ashamed that this chapter was so short. Anyway, the next chapter is the last! And, technically, it’s the Epilogue. Don’t fret! Things will finally look up.
> 
> Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters do not belong to me. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Kishimoto-san’s affiliates.  
> By the same token, this story does not belong to anyone else, and as such, and elements not associated with Naruto or Kishimoto-san are by proxy mine to do with as I please. Do not take and reuse, redistribute or warp in any manner. Thank you.


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura wakes up, to find the world is much different than she remembers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through this story, and thank you so much for reading it and commenting and everything. I appreciate it all! Enjoy!
> 
> Warning: AU, slight ooc, het, weird pairings, very dark themes, unbeta’d  
> Dedication: Azwhi, KrimsonKitsu, Velvet Sometimes, and all of you who reviewed; for your unwavering support and fantastic company.

She woke to the sight of tinted green glass not more than a foot in front of her face.  There were tubes and wires hooked up to her, nodes on her temples and needles in her skin.  She was dressed in a short-sleeved sleeping gown, and laying on a soft bed that seemed to shift with her every slight movement.  She could hear humming.

Slowly, Sakura lifted a hand, pressing shaky fingers to the glass preventing her from sitting up.  There was a sudden pneumatic hiss, like air escaping, and the glass moved; it was part of a door that was now opening to let her out.

She heard something clunk; the humming had stopped.  “Y-you’re awake,” a voice breathed.

The pink-haired girl blinked a bit dazedly and turned her head to see an elderly woman sitting on a couch in one corner.  Behind her was a set of large bay windows, showing a steep drop off a cliff, and then the ocean.

Sakura blinked at the mesmerizing sight, before the woman’s voice brought her back to the planet Earth.  “Oh dear.  I need to send a runner-”

Tuning the woman out, Sakura started tugging the needles and wires off and out of her person, much to her supervisor’s dismay.  “No, no, no, don’t do that!  That’s not good, oh dear.  Please, Sakura-sama!”

Chore finished, Sakura threw her legs over the edge of the... whatever it was she lay in, ready to stand up and go about demanding answers.  Her memory was still a bit fuzzy, but she knew this wasn’t where she was supposed to be.

“Sakura-sama!” the old woman gasped as the pink-haired girl hopped out of the bed thing.

And she crumbled immediately upon her landing.  “Ow!” the girl yelped, knees landing _hard_ on the tiled floor.

“Oh dear.”  The woman crouched beside her, tugging at her arm.  “No, no, Sakura-sama.  This won’t do at all.  Please get back into the stasis pod, it will take _time_ for you to adjust!”

Sakura growled under her breath in pure frustration.  She felt weak as a newborn baby, and it was _not fun_.  Reaching up, she grabbed the edge of the _stasis pod_ and used all of her strength to get up again.  She met the woman’s gaze with a glower, doing her best to ignore her shaking arms.  “Where. Is. Naruto?”

Her brother could explain everything to her.  He would help everything make sense.

Then the door slammed open and knocked Sakura’s world off kilter again.  “Kaya!  What the hell?  Sakura’s not hooked up-”

The blonde that had entered was now gaping at them.  Sakura, specifically.  “Goddammit, Ino-pig!” Sakura roared furiously.  “Don’t just stand there!  Give me a fucking hand!”

Ino snapped out of her stunned-speechlessness.  “Oh right,” she breathed, and dashed over.  “Kaya, bring the chair over, please, yes, that’s right.”  The blonde helped her friend into said _comfortable_ rocking chair, and then threw her arms around the rosette’s shoulders.  “Oh man, it’s so wonderful to talk to you again!”

Bewildered, Sakura hugged her back.  Now that she wasn’t focused on trying not to fall over, it was very much apparent that Ino had _changed_ , dramatically.  She was older, prettier.   _Taller_.  “Ino, you...”  She gulped as her friend pulled back and straightened.  “You’re different.”

The blonde blinked at Kaya, then Sakura again.  “Really?  I am?” she asked, surprised, and Sakura nodded.  “Oh.  Well.  That tends to happen when you don’t see people for a couple years...”

Sakura paled.  “A couple _years_?” she echoed, horrified by the thought.   _Just what happened to me?  And to this **place**?_  “Where am I?  Where’s Naruto?  Tsunade?”

Ino flinched.  “Oh god.  I should have known.  Stasis tends to... screw your memory over for a while.  It’ll come back to you, I promise,” she hastened to assure her friend, crouching in front of her.  “As for this... this is Whirlpool.  Well, the remains of it.  During the war it was...  pretty much destroyed.  Sasori-sama came and built upon the ruins...”

Sakura wasn’t listening to her anymore.  She was reeling back in time, remembering everything that she had, for a merciful moment, forgotten.  Sasori.  The hospital shooting.  Tsunade’s funeral.  Jiraiya’s speech, and Naruto working.  Ino, the library, the crash...

All of it came back in a flood, and by the time Ino managed to snap her from her reverie, one question came to mind.  “What war?”

xXx

Beeping, rhythmic and telling, awoke him.  He sat up in bed, eyes focusing on the panel beside his door, on the other side of the room.  The red light on it was blinking, so Sasori got up, crossing the room with ease.  He depressed the button right beneath it.

“ _Sasori-sama, Sakura-sama has awakened!_ ” was all he heard of the message, before he was darting from the room in his night clothes.

The following words were said to an empty room.  “ _She’s not exactly happy, though...  Perhaps it’s best if you not come yet._ ”

xXx

Sakura’s world narrowed when the door opened, and a familiar man stepped inside.  Her fingers clenched together in fists as she stood with Ino’s help.  “Sasori,” she called softly, smiling.

And as soon as he came within reach like the idiot he was, she let her fist fly.  Sasori stumbled back under the force of the - admittedly _feeble_ , for Sakura - punch to the face.  He slammed back into the wall and stared at her, on hand lifting to cup his now-bleeding nose.

“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!” she screamed at him, so angry she was almost crying.

Sasori tilted his head, staring at her like she was the dead come back to life.  Ino flailed and managed to hold her friend down.  “I don’t understand the question,” he muttered, and deftly snapped his nose back into place before wiping away the blood.

She shook her head, shoulders slumping.  “What have you done?”

The redhead straightened, eyes narrowing.  “Kaya, Ino.  Leave us,” he commanded, and both reluctantly trailed from the room.  Once they were alone, he stepped over to the windows and placed his hand on a panel.  “Darken.”  The windows turned black.

Sakura could only watch him move around, obviously stalling.  Once, she would have cared that he’d taken over the friggin’ world with an army of puppets.  Now... she wasn’t sure what to think.  Obviously, some things were alright, but others were just plain _strange_.

Ino working for Sasori, Naruto apparently living in China as part of the “rebellion”, Sasuke and Itachi the leaders of the police force.  Kankuro and Temari dead.  Kiba missing.  “What’s happened?” she choked out after a few moments.

The redhead stiffened, and slowly turned to face her.  “I made the world perfect,” he replied after a beat.  “I wanted it to be safe for you, when you awoke again.”

She shook her head, fighting the urge to cry.  “Ino told me.  Maybe not all of it, but some.  Sasori, this is...”

Closing her eyes, she went over everything her friend had told her.  “Cars, trains, busses, all banned from use?  How do people travel?”

“They walk,” he said.  “Or fly.”  He drew nearer; she could feel him right before her, but refused to open her eyes and look at him.  “This is paradise, Sakura.”  A hand cupped her cheek.  “I couldn’t let such things continue to be used, not when they took you away from me once.”

She finally looked up at him; for the first time since they’d met, seeing him for who he truly was.  A damaged mad man with a dangerous dream.  One that he had finally, completely realized while her back was turned.

“Paradise?” she breathed, and shook her head.  “I’m not sure it is.”

His almost expressive-until-then face iced over, and he withdrew his hand.  “Everything I have done was for you.”

Reaching out, Sakura grasped his hand.  “I know that, Sasori,” she muttered, tugging on him.  He didn’t budge, and she sighed.  “I know.  I just...   It’s scary, you know?  When I had the accident... everything was so much different.”

Sighing, the redhead knelt before her, and drew her hand up to rest against his cheek.  He closed his eyes and drew in a slow breath, seemingly savoring the feeling.  “I missed you, Sakura.  The only thing that kept me going, sometimes, was the thought that someday we would be reunited.”

She uncurled her fingers and interlaced them with his.  “I’m sorry I... left,” she murmured.

He left out a slow breath and stood.  “There’s something I want to show you, Sakura,” he said softly.

Irrationally, the pink-haired girl’s first thought was, “But I’m in my _night gown_!”

She hadn’t realized she’d said it aloud until he blinked at her and followed her gaze to her current clothed state.  “Ah.  … perhaps I should see about better clothing, then.”

The girl twitched, but watched him walk over to a wall and press his hand against it.  A bar of light went down the single panel, before the whole thing brightened in color from grey to white, and swung open.  It was the entrance to a walk-in closet.

Sakura gaped when she walked in.  It was bigger than it’d looked on the outside, with rows upon rows of clothing in every color, all of it her sizes.  There were shoes lined up beneath the hanging garments, and drawers in the back of the room which - upon inspection - proved to hold jewelry.  A lot of it.

“Come here,” Sasori said abruptly, drawing her focus to a small square panel on the wall.  It was barely the size of his hands, but when she stepped up, it beeped.  “Put your hand on it.  It’ll scan you.”

Curiously, she nodded and did so, nearly jerking her hand back when there was a sharp prick on each of her fingertips.  When she did pull her hand away, her fingers were bleeding.  “The hell?!”

“DNA,” the man explained.  “Only you and I can open this room now.”  He turned to nod at the rest of the space.  “Get dressed.  I’ll wait outside.”

Once the door had closed behind him, Sakura closed her eyes and sank to her knees on the floor.  This was all... quite a bit to take in.  A coma.  World domination.  She sighed.

Speaking of the coma... shouldn’t she not be able to walk?  Sure, it’d been a bit difficult to begin with, but she’d quickly gotten the hang of it.  Perhaps it had something to do with the pod she’d woken up in?  She really was in remarkable shape for a girl that’d been in a coma for years.

Sighing, Sakura climbed to her feet again, and quickly found clothes that suited her taste.  Ten minutes later, she was stepping out into the room again, to find Sasori speaking with a familiar someone.

“J-Jiraiya!” she yelped, and raced forward.  She threw her arms around the old man’s shoulders, carefully.

He hugged her back with surprising strength.  “Sakura-chan,” he murmured, and kissed the crown of her head.  “I’m relieved to see you awake again.  We all missed you.”

Burying her face in his shirt, she nodded and swallowed back sudden tears.  “I missed you too,” she mumbled, voice muffled.

His arms tightened, and he held on to her for a long time, until Sakura’s legs were too weak from so much use after so little, and gave out beneath her.  Jiraiya scooped her up, ignoring Sasori’s dark look, and brought her over to the rocking chair beside the stasis pod.  Once she was seated, he knelt before her and gave her a wide, sad smile.  “It really has been too long.”

Sakura punched him lightly in the shoulder, eyes burning.  “Stop it,” she mumbled.  “You’re gonna make me cry...”

“Heaven forbid I do that,” he drawled, and got up.  “Sorry, Kage-sama.”  This was directed toward Sasori.  “I heard from Ino-chan... and I had to come see for myself.”

Sasori was scowling at him irritably, but Sakura gave him a frown, and so he huffed out an impatient, “It’s fine.  Now, you’ve seen her, so go.  You can visit again later.”

Amused, Jiraiya leaned down to give Sakura a fatherly kiss on the forehead.  “We’ll catch up over food later, okay?”

She nodded and smiled at him.  “Yeah, okay.  That sounds good.”

“Good.”  He ruffled her hair, bowed to Sasori, and left.

Sakura exhaled in his wake, and buried her face in her hands.  She felt the light touch of fingers on her crown, which trailed down to her hand, and along her arm to her shoulder.  “Sakura.”

His voice was so smooth, even after all these years....   _All the years I’ve lost, all the years spent abandoned that I can’t get back..._  Her lungs constricted at the thought.  “What else is different?” she whispered, dropping her hands to look at him.

He withdrew his hand, head tilting in baffled curiosity; the mannerism was so heart-breakingly familiar that she nearly broke down crying.  As it was, it took her several minutes to work past the knot in her throat.  “I...  It’s all changed, Sasori...  What else is different?”

The man looked down at himself, expression unreadable, and then returned his focus to her.  One hand was held out for her to take.  “I will show you,” he murmured.

Letting out a shuddering breath, Sakura took his hand.  He pulled her to her feet and escorted her out the door, down the hall and toward an elevator.  All the while, she stared around her; at the few people that stopped and stared in awe and wonder, at the silvery walls that seemed like they’d come from some sort of Sci-Fi novel.  Nothing was familiar...

_Nothing is the same._  “How can I walk?” she asked abruptly.  In an attempt to keep from seeing her glass half empty, as it were.

Dark eyes turned back toward her as he stepped into the elevator.  She followed him in while he spoke, pressing a button labeled simply ‘R’.  “Some time ago, right after the war, we discovered that many of the governments around the world possessed advanced technologies that they hadn’t shared with the people.  They were too interested in maintaining their power, and their money.  They kept it all to themselves- used the technology for weapons, for killing, for enslaving.  They had no intention of allowing the people out of their poverty, or helping them advance their everyday technology.”

“And you did?” she asked, softly.

Sasori paused, eying her.  “Not immediately,” he admitted.  “But we’ve been doing it slowly...  I admit that to begin with I had not intended on changing it.”

She looked at him, hopefully.  “What changed your mind?”

“Ino,” he said, shrugging.  “She is fearless.  She asked me to step aside with her to speak, and then railed at me.  Called me a liar and a fool, and told me that she didn’t understand how you could care for me...  She threw around ‘heartless’ and ‘cruel’ a bit too.”  The corner of his mouth twitched.

“After that, I began dispersing the technology.  Advancements slowly made their way into the greater populace, and the people slowly ceased hating me as much.  The stasis pod you awoke in was the benefit of that; a man named Kabuto took the technology and created that, then approached me.  He said that if it worked the way it was meant to, you would awake as if you had simply gone to sleep last night.  It would keep your muscles in working order, and your body alive.”

Sakura was quiet for a few minutes, reeling with the information.  Before her, the elevator doors slid open, letting in the bright, cheerful glow of mid-morning sun.  Sakura stared at it for a beat, before turning to look at the man standing patiently beside her.

The first thing that occurred to her was that he wasn’t a doll.  Carefully, she reached out, fingers brushing his soft skin.  From cheek to ear to neck she went, until she stepped over and threw her arms around him, the dam breaking.

He held her, even as the doors closed again, and she cried her heart out.  Cried and cried, until she was hiccupping with every sob.  He ran his hand over her hair, rocking her; at some point, they’d knelt together on the floor.  “Sakura,” he whispered against her ear, “Stay with me.  Forever.”

All she could do was nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... my god, I actually finished it. O.o Sorry it took so long.
> 
> I would like to say that yes, I know some things are left open-ended, or unexplained. Like Naruto and the rebellion, Kiba being missing, Sakura's feelings on a lot of it. But this epilogue was meant to bring a finality to Sasori and Sakura's relationship. The STORY was about them, not the others. I may or may not write a few side pieces about the other stuff. If I do, it'll show up on here eventually. If not, I hope you like their story all the same.
> 
> Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters do not belong to me. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Kishimoto-san’s affiliates.  
> By the same token, this story does not belong to anyone else, and as such, and elements not associated with Naruto or Kishimoto-san are by proxy mine to do with as I please. Do not take and reuse, redistribute or warp in any manner. Thank you.
> 
> So my dear friend ~[linnyxito](http://linnyxito.deviantart.com) did a commission for me, [Cursed Doll](http://linnyxito.deviantart.com/art/Cursed-Doll-367578934), of Sakura and Sasori in the first chapter! THANK YOU AGAIN, DEAR!! You can find it by following the link on the name!


End file.
